kale's The True Believers: The Takari Saga
by Eowyn the Fair
Summary: Book 3: Takeru and Hikari are summonded into a distant world, where they are worshipped as gods, to help a young digimon prince save his people from a loathsome enslavement and a demonic creature bent on revenge.
1. A Holy Evocation

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Note: Again, yes, I do have kale's permission to post his stories here. That permission is documented in his author's profile. This is the third book, continuing the saga begun in 'SoulBound' and 'A Bond Unbreakable', and occurs the winter before the beginning of canon season 02.

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In another place, outside of the natural world...

The Takari Saga -- Book Three

The True Believers 

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The tired, wounded creature wore a dazed expression in his brown eyes as he stumbled lamely towards the great building that was his goal; a building which, disturbingly, was hazy and blurred in his sight. His frail forepaws were shaking with a visible palsy, and his tail was limp and dragged behind him in the dust of the pathway. Even the sun, the unmercifully hot sun bearing down on him from overhead made it so... so...

After a few more exhausted steps forward his fatigue overwhelmed him completely, and the creature stumbled once over his own feet and crumpled to the ground in the shadow of the temple. The book that he had been carrying so reverently in his paws clattered away to the side, just beyond the point where he could reach it. Not that he had the strength to try. _It would be so easy_, he thought vaguely... _so, so easy to just lay here and die._

He rested his forehead on the ground in despair and exhaustion. He was no longer young, and the once chocolate-colored fur covering his body had faded to gray around the edges from the strain of living in these troubled times. But then, for him at least, most everything in the world had now faded to gray.

In our world, people would have said that he looked something like a squirrel; albeit an exceptionally large one. He would have stood about chest-high to an average human male, and his tail was somewhat less bushy than we would have said that a squirrel's should look, but the description would have been mostly accurate.

He, however, had never heard the term 'squirrel'. To him and to the rest of his race they were called _a'ladon _-- which a knowledgeable translator would render as 'the People'.

A choking sob, one buried beneath heavy emotion, rasped in the creature's throat as he struggled to drag his injured body towards the temple. At his back, the sounds of terror and suffering that continued to echo from the village proper made him wince anew. He knew that, to fulfill his oath, he should have stayed... stayed with the rest of his people to provide what help and solace he could after what had just happened. But now, in the new light of his loss, he could see little point in it.

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Faith brings no certainty of solace, the creature thought to himself. _And at this moment, are there any more wanting of that solace that I?_

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No. His need now went beyond simple comfort. He needed an explanation. An answer. _Some _sort of justification for what was happening to his people. And in the name of both god and goddess, he would have it. It would, like as not, cost him his life. But what was the life of an _a'ladon _worth these days, anyway? He grimaced at the thought. Hopefully enough to purchase enlightenment from the Most Holy as to what wicked sin had loosed this scourge upon them all.

A determined look coalesced in the creature's sad eyes as he pulled himself to his feet, then continued in his stumbling gate toward the enormous stone doors while clutching at the small key on its chain about his neck. He dared not allow any lucid thought to stop him from what he was about to do, and so steadfastly banished consciousness from his mind. The key slid easily enough into the lock, and so for him the door eased open.

A feeling of reverence, instilled in all _a'ladon _from a very young age, weighed heavily on him as he entered. Even now, decades later, he still could hear the stern voice of his grandfather as it echoed in his mind. It had been his first time entering...

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Bow your head, Eli, and shake the dust from your paws. You now stand on hallowed ground.

In this place there was a feeling of greatness that could not be explained away even by the most fervent atheist. All at once it was magical and peaceful, holy and powerful, and though there was no sound to be heard, the majestic hymn of an angelic choir filled his heart with otherworldly sensations. A great progression of ancient torches, beautiful and perpetual sources of unnatural light, cast long shadows on the walls as he passed by each of them.

The creature felt bowed under the weight of the atrocity that he was about to commit, and became very, very aware of his lack of stature in the presence of such enormity. The walls of the great stone building loomed over him, and he hung his head in shame as though those same walls would condemn him for his actions. But they were only stone, and as such knew neither suffering nor doubt.

He stopped as he reached the foot of the velveted steps; steps which led up to the very heart of the building and the intricately carved statues that were the earthly semblances of the holy deities. Not for the first time he stared at them in reverence and wonder, considering anew the great powers of these most venerable of beings.

The creature gave a quarter-turn to his left and genuflected deeply before the image of his master. The most holy god, the bane of demons in whose name all _a'ladon_ males swore. In strong contrast to his adherents, the god was always portrayed as having no thick coat of fur covering his body. The only hint of such a feature was a golden patch of it that was said to crown his head. _Yellow _fur_._ And such wise and knowledgeable eyes, eyes which were always depicted in the artwork of the time as a deep blue. Such eyes were rare among his people, occurring maybe a dozen times in a generation, and children born marked with them were always considered as blessed.

In the god's open hand rested a long rod or warrior's staff of a sort, the likeness of which had only been added in recent years due to new revelations by the seers. The change had caused a veritable upheaval among the warriors of his people, making such a staff the weapon of choice for a great many of them.

Finally, atop the god's helm rode a small, winged creature. Exactly what this being represented was a source of much speculation among the scholars. Some theorized that it was merely a pet, while others insisted that it was a sentient councilor or familiar spirit of some sort. Well, if all went according to his plan, that question would be among many that were answered.

Now he turned to the right and bowed to the goddess. He, like many of his kind, had always agreed that the creature was lovely... if in an alien sort of way. There was a smaller likeness of her in the village square, with hands outstretched as if in welcoming, and it was often the case that newborn _a'ladon _girls would be placed in the hands of that statue before their mother would agree to hold or to nurse them. It was a long-held tradition for any prospective bride, before answering a proposal, to sit in vigil at the feet of that statue to receive enlightenment. 

In the sculpture within the temple, the goddess held in her right hand an ornamental scepter crowned with the image of the sun. It was an accepted fact by all of the clergy that she, in the beginning, had spoken into existence all light in the universe . And at the Lady's side loomed the feral muscularity of her guardian, a fell beast of a feline nature whose tremendously oversized claws and thick armor spoke volumes to its proficiency in battle. _Guardian indeed_! he had always thought. _As if any creature would dare assail her with _that _at her side..._

"Eli."

The old priest turned, startled at the sound of his name. Approaching him silently, on bare paws that had never known footwear, was Lugh, the captain of the _Laenites_... the True Believers, they called themselves. By ancient tradition, Lugh and his followers shared authority in the temple with the priesthood, though they refused to take the oath of pacifism that the priests had. Now, even in the holy temple he still wore his battle garb; the leathery hide of his armor torn to ribbons and dark blood matting the fur around his right shoulder. "Why are you in _here_?" the captain demanded, his eyes narrowing in judgment. "There are those still in dire need of help."

The older priest did not rise from his knees, and his mouth quivered in response. "I... _I _am in need of help, also."

The other frowned, and shook his head in disapproval. He and his like tolerated the priesthood as equals, but did not respect their nonviolent beliefs or tender nature. It was a longstanding point of contention between the two groups, with the _Laenites _often heard to remark that there was a great deal of evidence to support that their god was not so opposed to warfare as the others would have them believe. "Doubting again then, Eli?"

The priest's teeth snapped together as he slammed a paw down to the stone floor. "Why do they let this happen?" The shouted demand reverberated throughout the chamber, seeming unnaturally loud after the whispered conversation. "These atrocities have been allowed to go on since the time of my father's grandfather! I have long come in search of answers and now I will _demand _them!"

The _Laenite _captain was taken aback by the passionate tone of the other's words. "Eli? You have been witness to this struggle for decades now, for much longer than I, and have never spoken so. At least not within my hearing. What has happened to make it so now?"

The old creature closed his eyes against the pain. It was too much, too soon... "My… my family," he whispered, his voice hollow.

Lugh felt the blood suddenly run quite cold in his veins, and he moved a hesitant step closer to his counterpart. "T'Amor? ...Julian?" He asked after Eli's sons, the former still little more than a child.

The eyes of the priest were distant, looking far beyond the other. "Dead," he responded past the lump in his throat. He had seen them fall, one after the other, while protecting their sister.

"Anya?" the captain continued after a moment.

Eli's paw was tight against his chest in a futile attempt to staunch the pain. "Taken," he answered through quivering lips. He glanced up at the other. "It may be that my sons are better off, yes?"

Lugh couldn't speak, and felt sick to his stomach. He had seen those three children raised from kits. "E... Eli--" he stammered.

"No!" the priest exploded, waiving his hand at the statues. "No more excuses of divine providence or that this is all somehow working together for our good. These two know where my Anya is, and know why this is being allowed to happen to us. I can take no more of this! It may well cost me my life, but I swear in the name of the Lord Takeru… I _will _have an answer from them!" And then, with speed that belied his age, the older creature snatched Lugh's staff from his open paw and struck the warrior aside the head with it.

Lugh collapsed to the velvet floor, never having seen the blow coming. Even if he had guessed at Eli's motives for being in that place at that moment, violence of any sort was so out of character for a member of the priesthood as to be unthinkable. But Eli's loss had now taken him beyond any oaths, and there was no other lucid thought which could dare stop him.

He closed his eyes against the pain and stepped over Lugh's unconscious body, lifting the simple medallion from beneath the other's breastplate. If he was going to commit this most inexcusable of all sins, then he was determined to commit it unmistakably. He would bring both the Lord Takeru _and _the Lady Hikari to stand before him and explain themselves, else to suffer their wrath and be finally beyond this pain.

Eli gritted his teeth and marched up the stairs towards the base of the enormous statues, thoughts of his children driving him on as he recalled the forbidden words of evocation to his mind. Among his people, few had leave to know those words. They were never written down, only passed on from one generation of priests to the next in spoken form, and always entrusted only to the wisest and most devoted. They were the words to be spoken only at the prophesied Armageddon, in the final days, when they would be used to call the Lord and Lady to deliver the _a'ladon _from evil.

The stench from the fires still burning in the village and that of too many dead bodies filled his sharp nose even as his quivering fingers moved the medallions into place. And the creature bowed his head in reverence and spoke:

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"a'amon Takeru, _a'amer Hikari… empiore mei. Amero l'angelum, amero l'valere, eimo haer ete… amero peddum."_

*****

The two eleven year old children sat side-by-side on the grass in the park, then turned together as one and smiled solemnly at one another. This was the very spot where their crests had fused for the first time, giving them the ability to overcome the ghost of Piedmon and to exorcise his evil influence from Kari's brother. And while within that fusion, to experience perhaps the most intimate understanding of one another that was possible. And so of course it held a great deal of private meaning for them; now moreso that they were able to be there together without a chaperone.

Tai and Sora were happy now, at least for the most part. They'd been carrying around the weight of a romantic triangle with Matt for so long enough that to finally be free of it was a great relief. Now, with the tension broken and Sora's choice made at last, the healing could begin. It would be easier for them than it would for Matt, of course, who still had not quite gotten over the depression from being rejected. But thankfully he hid it well from Tai and Sora, not wanting to intrude on what joy they were finally able to experience without guilt.

"He'll be okay," T.K. had assured everyone of his brother, and Kari agreed. Matt eventually would realize that he had not been cast aside, but rather had seen his love returned in a way that was more familial than it was romantic.

The young boy peered over Kari's shoulder to the bag in her lap that had carried the food. "Anything left in there?" asked hopefully.

The girl giggled in response, and playfully shoved him away. "More? You already ate enough for three people! No, there isn't any more."

T.K. sighed in resignation of his hunger and leaned back on his elbows as Kari watched him. The younger of the two brothers was easily going to be as tall as Matt when they both completely grew up, but unlike the older boy his frame was beginning to fill out with some semblance of muscle. Matt was best described as 'lanky', but T.K., it seemed, was not destined to be so.

A gentle, steady breeze rustled the bushes surrounding them. Kari moved to his side and rested her head on T.K.'s chest, and together they lay down and stared upwards at the sky. Almost automatically the boy placed his arm about her shoulders and drew her closer, reminiscent of the time when his restorative touch had been all that had kept her from death. Neither had dressed for winter, since it had been a warm one up until now, but the sudden breeze made them both somewhat chilly and ready to return to the company of their friends.

"Oh no!" Kari exclaimed when T.K. suggested such a thing. "_You _spent the whole time eating, and we haven't got a chance to do anything else."

T.K. blushed, but smiled in a good-natured way. He was still somewhat naive about such things, but had an idea exactly what Kari's 'anything else' involved. The grove where they were eating was quite secluded, and the look in the girl's eyes as she stared at him was more than a little bit mischievous, bordering on naughty.

The boy decided to humor her and leaned over to kiss her once, briefly, on the lips. The breeze was becoming uncomfortably strong now, ruffling his hair and sending a mass of leaves tumbling past the two of them. Kari looked somewhat disappointed at the single kiss. "Is that all?" she asked, then moved closer to the boy and pushed him back down to the ground. "That's not exactly what I had in mind, you know," she said, still smiling impishly.

The girl paused for a moment to take in the confused look on his face before the impishness fell from the smile, and she continued in a more serious mien. "You know I love you, T.K."

He looked up at her in return. He wasn't sure that he understood all the rules to this just yet, and didn't know quite what she expected of him at any particular time. All he could do was to fall back on honesty. "And I love you too, Kari. I just didn't expect--"

What cut the boy off short was the realization that the wind swirling around them that had been gradually increasing in intensity had suddenly swelled, and was now very nearly of a gale's strength. The force of the wind was such that it should have been toppling the trees around them, but instead it seemed, unlikely as it were, that the focus of the wind was on them alone. With a suddenness that astounded each of the children, the crest dangling from T.K.'s neck and the one bound to Kari's wrist each gave a sharp, dazzling glow that threw them backwards and off their feet.

T.K. pulled the girl tightly to his chest as both rolled to a rather violent stop. The wind had suddenly died off completely, and after a moment or so of covering their respective heads both children looked up.

They were no longer where they had been. The park had been bright, breezy and fresh-smelling. Wherever they had ended up was dark, dank and musty, and with a brief murmur of pain both children stumbled to their feet and looked around. They had landed on some sort of elevated stone surface, covered with carpeting, and as their eyes adjusted to the dim light they started to see more. A small gathering of some sort was going on at the bottom of the stairs atop which they stood. At first, both thought it was a group of young children engaged in some sort of rough play, but when they could see more it became evident that they were not children at all, but some sort of small, furry creatures.

A group of them had apparently taken one by the arms and were attempting to remove him from wherever it was that they were. That one evidently did not want to go, and was struggling desperately with his captors. "Hey!" shouted T.K., upset at what he saw as a rather excessive use of force against the one.

The creatures froze at once at the sound of his voice. Slowly the group turned as a whole and looked up at the two children standing above them, wide-eyed expressions of fear, awe and disbelief evident on their faces.

Kari peered over the boy's shoulder at the gathering below. "T.K.?" she murmured in his ear. "Are they…are they Digimon?"

The boy peered closely at the group. He was almost ready to respond in the negative when one of the creatures exhaled an explosive shriek, then fell forward onto the ground in a most reverent act of submission. Soon thereafter another toppled over in a dead faint, then a third dropped to his paws and knees and started gibbering feverishly. They could make out a few of the words, but most were too stuttering to even make a guess at.

After a few moments the entire membership of the group had either fainted, was on their knees or had fled. "Wait... uh, what... what's going on here?" the blond boy asked in confusion.

"Umm, T.K.?" asked Kari, tugging on his sleeve. He turned around at her insistence and looked up to where she was staring. And there, literally towering to the ceiling, were a pair of enormous marble statues of each of them.

The boy's jaw dropped. It was a rendering of him all right, that much was made evident by the figure of Patamon riding atop his hat and the sigil of hope inscribed on his gauntleted fist. But he looked much more mature in the image than he did in the mirror, and he was fairly certain that his muscles weren't quite as enormous as depicted. He gave a surreptitious glance down at his sleeves just to be certain, and quickly looked back up. _Nope_.

Kari was in a similar state of incredulity. Even in her most self-absorbed fantasies she had never thought that she could be so strikingly beautiful as her likeness here appeared, and she couldn't ever remember Gatomon ever having looked so terrifyingly large or ferocious. It was clearly _supposed _to be her, but even she felt cowed under the flawless perfection of the idol.

Below them one of the creatures, the one who had been being assailed by the others, had finally found a way to his feet and was gazing at them with a reverential awe in his eyes. "All h... hail, great Lord and L... Lady, to whom we pledge our existence!" he shouted, stammering the words through lips which trembled violently.

"Glory and all praise, both Master and Mistress!" the remainder of the creatures (those still conscious), echoed, the words sounding liturgical and rehearsed.

The pair of young humans looked down at the gathering in astonishment, glanced once again at the statues and then raised their hands in a feeble wave. "Hi," said T.K.

*****

"But grandfather!" protested the auburn-haired creature, the deep blue of his eyes darkening in resentment. "I don't _want _to go to meet them. You know I don't believe that they're gods!"

The older creature was aghast at the heresy of his grandson's words and quickly slapped the boy across the cheek... though in all fairness, the blow was not a particularly harsh one. The young prince gasped once in surprise, then turned his face away in shame and fell into a sullen silence while the elder finished attaching the clasp to the cloak around his neck. Then, very gently, he picked up a small circlet of gold and placed it atop the child's head.

"Mylam," the creature admonished soothingly, as if to take this sting away from his blow. "You are our prince, and perhaps one day our king if this scourge is ever lifted from us. But until that time, Takeru and Hikari are all that our people have to hold on to, be they gods or otherwise. If you will do no more then you _must _at least allow us them. Speaking with them will cause little harm. Brennan has already gone to meet them."

"_Without _my permission?" Mylam's very nearly shouted, rising back to his feet in anger. "I will _not _have him providing endorsement of them on my behalf!" He turned his back on his grandfather in a sulking manner, and lowered his voice. "Why must I even _have _him as my regent anymore? I am almost of age where I will take up my crown and lead our people to their liberation."

"You will not!" the older creature snapped in alarm, then clenched his teeth around his bottom lip and sighed. "At least, not without _their _sanction of that crown. That was the mistake that your father made, and look where it got him… and all of us."

The young creature, chastised, bowed his head and rather gloomily submitted to his grandfather's care once again. He felt a brief regret for his rash words. His mother, his grandfather's only child, had been killed in the purge that had followed the brief establishment of his father's government. And even then, as a young kit, he had sworn to her on her deathbed that he would not perpetrate the same reckless act.

*****

Meanwhile, T.K. and Kari were being paraded around town by a small group of the creatures that they had found in their temple. Another of the same fellowship preceded them the entire way, calling out the rest of the 'people' to come and to pay homage to them. And wherever they were taken an instantaneous celebration seemed to ensue, with all of the creatures, young and old, stopping whatever they were doing to participate.

'Homage' may have been one word for it, but infuriatingly they could not get anyone to answer a single one of their questions. "T.K.?" whispered the girl, tugging on the boy's sleeve.

"What?" the other responded, almost having to shout to be heard over the jubilant crowd.

"Who are we supposed to be to these people? And what are they? Are we back in the digital world?"

That would be a partial explanation; that these creatures were indeed a race of Digimon and were honoring them for their part in freeing their world, but that would leave them both hard pressed to explain why only they had been taken and not the six others. The boy shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

The sun was now setting in the village as they approached what apparently was their final destination. With a mob-like mentality a horde of the creatures tried to enter the large stone building behind them, and though the room in which they eventually found themselves was best described as cavernous, it was soon filled to capacity and more. Most of the creatures were dressed in black and many more had various and evident injuries, yet the grief that the children saw on etched the faces was nothing compared to the elation.

Again they found themselves forced to march up a small flight of stone steps, and at the top they were greeted by a threesome of the creatures. The loud murmuring in the hall fell silent as the tallest of the three stepped forward. "My Master," he said in a high-pitched voice and with a deep bow to T.K. "My Lady," to Kari. "A blessed welcome to you both. I am called Brennan, and serve as regent to your people. These are the high priest Genel (the elderly creature on the left) and my nephew the Crown Prince Mylam (the sulking, clearly younger creature on the right). We offer you welcome, and vow to place ourselves under your holy authority."

This was all happening much too fast for the young humans. _Master? Holy authority? _T.K. tried desperately to think of something to say in response, something that would tell these creatures that there must have been some kind of mistake. But his mind, overwhelmed as it was, could come up with nothing. After a moment of awkward silence Kari nudged the boy with her elbow, prompting him to say something. "Um…hi," T.K. replied once again with a nod to the one who had called himself 'Brennan'.

The responding roar from the crowd was very nearly deafening.


	2. Takeru the Oathkeeper?

Chapter II

The hulking, lizard-like creature shoved the small _a'ladon_ male forward to his paws and knees in front of the dais in the throne room of his people. The Saurian's long tongue flickered out to taste the air as it leered down at the other. "Linger here," it hissed, a twisted smirk on its ugly reptilian face.

"How dare you!" protested the smaller creature from the ground, looking up at his 'escort'. "Do you know who I am?"

The saurian creature responded with little more than a baring of its teeth, then exhaled a low gurgle that might have passed as a laugh from a civilized creature. There was nothing but disdain in its eyes as it turned its back on the smaller _a'ladon _and trudged in its loping gate from the room. _It _certainly had no wish to see what was in store for this traitor.

The small mammalian creature was left on his own for a few minutes, until a trumpet fanfare and the sound of clawed toes clicking on the stone floor at his back announced the arrival of his 'host'. He clenched his teeth firmly together at the thought of what he was doing, but he'd made this decision long ago. It was to be for the best...

King Uriah of the Saurians entered the room, surrounded by his troupe of elite soldiers, and without even a glance in the other's direction mounted the stone steps to his throne. He turned and sat and then, as if seemingly from nowhere, a tall, darkly shrouded figure appeared at his side. Uriah's thin eyes narrowed even further as they peered at the cowering _a'ladon _before him. "What," he asked slowly, his voice coarse in its sibilance, "do you want?"

The smaller creature resisted the urge to blow the stench out of his nostrils with a snort, and he bowed his head just a fraction as he addressed the other."Your Majesty demanded that I enlighten you if ever anything monumental or out of the ordinary should occur amongst my people. Or specifically, if any sort of foreign creature should arrive under inexplicable circumstances?"

The king glanced at the cloaked figure at his side, who gave a curt nod with its cowled head in response. Obviously this directive was from the mouth of the Saurian king's advisor, and not his own. "Yes?" the lizard-like monarch demanded.

The prostate creature coughed. "By some magic of one sort or another, inexplicable to me, it seems that our priesthood has conjured up likenesses of our ancient gods."

The king gave a very slight and indifferent shrug of his shoulders, this meaning less than nothing to him. Religion of any sort was a crutch for the weak and feebleminded. But the hooded being at his side came instantly to attention. _"What?" _it demanded, the voice emanating from beneath the cowl the stuff of nightmares.

The _a'ladon_ shuddered at the sound. He had never heard the thing actually speak before, and never hoped to again. The voice was coarse, rough… almost unnatural in a way. It brought back to him thoughts of vague terrors from his childhood years, fears that he thought that he had banished long ago. He swallowed before continuing. "Lord Takeru the Oathkeeper and Lady Hikari Lightbringer. They look similar to the creatures depicted in the artwork of my people, but--"

The hooded creature at the king's side grasped the back of the throne, as if to support itself. "How...? How did they find me... _here?_" it rasped, seemingly to itself.

The king's face, as he turned to look at his advisor, suppressed the surprise that he was feeling. He had never heard of anything catching the other off its guard. If all counts were correct, this same creature had been the counselor of the Saurian monarchy for well over a century now, and its advice was considered infallible. Implicit faith in it had been passed from father to son, and if any record existed as to what manner of creature was hidden beneath the mounds of cloth, neither he nor his archivists could find any record of it. Now, for the first time ever during his rule, he had heard fear in the voice.

And then the being actually seemed to be pacing, moving with its limping stride around the king's throne. It moved around the chair and lowered its head at Uriah's side. "Tell your captains to make ready," it hissed to him, a bitter tone in its voice. "They return to the _a'ladon _village tomorrow on the dawn."

"No!" the _a'ladon_ shouted angrily, standing up and glaring at the two.

The king silenced the _a'ladon _with cold, reptilian eyes. "What? Again?" he demanded of his counselor. His eyes narrowed across his snout. "I understand well the need to reestablish our authority from time to time to preclude such sedition as those creatures might muster, and have committed such power as is necessary to do so. But those soldiers assigned to that duty are exhausted now, and must be given time to rest." He paused. "To say nothing of the fact that harsher sanction might well foster a complete rebellion by them."

"You do _not _understand what this forebodes, Uriah," the other returned. "This is the greatest peril that could ever fall upon you. If this creature speaks true, then the justification for such a rebellion is upon us. Have the _a'ladon _priests any reason to bring forward their gods but to crown their boy prince a king? And then to give birth to a religious revival among their people? Fanatics of any sort are dangerous, Majesty, and if each _a'ladon _is willing to fight to the death at the word of their god, it may well be that your dominion over them shall fail."

The Saurian king frowned as he seemed to ponder this point for a moment, then nodded and motioned to the soldier nearest the throne. "Make ready, then. But the shock troops only, if at all possible. I want this stopped before it spreads, but I do not want open warfare in their streets." He turned his eyes on his informant. "You will go to advise them. I want both the leadership and these 'gods' removed by any means necessary."

*****

T.K. and Kari had seen and enjoyed parties aplenty in their own world, but never anything to compare to the energetic celebration that the squirrel-like creatures threw for them that night. The music was foreign and wild, captivating to their ears, and before long they found themselves drawn into the jubilant dance that accompanied it.

"But I don't know how to dan--" T.K. began to stammer, before his protest was cut short as Kari snatched his hand and pulled him into the celebratory fray of the creatures.

The wild music was almost infectious, and it wasn't long before T.K. was caught up in the enthusiastic mood of the crowd. It was true that they had been taken away from their home, and possibly even their world suddenly and without explanation by these strange creatures that seemed to revere them in some way. But for some reason, as he listened to the music and caught a glimpse of the happiness within Kari's eyes, it didn't seem to matter as much... not quite.

Both humans lost track of a great deal of time until the frantic harmony finally stopped, the musicians appearing very nearly as exhausted as the dancers. T.K. wiped the sweat from his brow and rested his hands on his knees. "Okay... okay, it was fun," he admitted, smiling upwards at the girl. "But I still don't know how to dance."

Kari returned the smile and cupped his face in her hands, brushing his lips with a very quick kiss. Several 'ohs' were heard from the small creatures surrounding them, and a few of the more scholarly types set to scribbling notes in little paper books that they had brought with them. The boy even thought that he heard the clinking sound of coins being exchanged somewhere behind his back.

A path was cleared to the two humans by the creatures and a somewhat younger one approached them, female by her dress. The young prince atop the dais who had been introduced to them as 'Mylam' suddenly appeared interested in events and sat up straight. The small female creature made her way to Kari's side and fell to her knees, taking the girl's hand in her tiny paws and pressing it to her furry face. "Lady Hikari," she whispered, her young voice breaking with emotion. "Your coming is a blessing to us all. Thank you my Lady... _thank you_…" The creature looked up then, and Kari was both surprised and moved to see the tears in her eyes and moistening her furry cheeks.

Kari gave the other's paws a light squeeze. "Please, get up… umm--"

"Perrin, my lady."

"Perrin," Kari finished, assisting the female back to her feet. She smiled at the young creature. "You're lovely."

Perrin returned the smile, shyly. "I was going to say the same of you, my lady."

In another moment a rather plump, graying creature joined them. "Please," he said, addressing both T.K. and Kari, "join us at the tables and let us feast. Rather... that is, if you will consent to eat with us?" he asked hopefully.

"Absolutely!" T.K. exclaimed, then blushed as Kari raised her eyebrows at him.

They were taken to a long table at the end of the hall and, were seated at its head on opposite sides to face one another. Two chairs which were large enough (and actually somewhat too large) for them to sit in were already there. Evidently only the most important of the creatures were to be allowed to eat there, as the ones who had been introduced to them as the High Priest Genel and Prince Mylam were placed at their sides while several other older and distinguished-looking individuals hastened for seats nearby.

The girl Perrin removed her paw from Kari's hand and was evidently prepared to leave when Kari stopped her. "But aren't you going to sit with me?"

The remainder of the gathered creatures stopped and looked at one another, then almost fell over themselves rushing to clear a place for Perrin to sit next to Kari.

Across the table from the new friends, T.K. and Mylam were also seated next to one another. The prince was peering hard at the boy, as if he were trying to resolve some sort of mystery by looking at him. T.K., however, didn't seem to notice, and certainly didn't mind if he did, for once the food was brought his attention was entirely on the meal.

Kari very nearly cringed as T.K. attacked the meal in front of him, his table manners just slightly better than a half-starved dog's. She herself picked at the rich food delicately, much more interested in the conversation that she was having with Perrin. Once the young creature's obvious tendency towards bashfulness was overcome, she was simply fascinating to listen to and had a great deal of insight.

Kari learned that her companion was actually older than she herself was, by a good three years or so. She was apparently an orphan, as the great majority of her family had been killed in some sort of catastrophe some time ago. But about the nature of the catastrophe, the girl was much less forthcoming. It was obviously a subject of much distress to her.

"But… but why all of this," Kari waved her hand at the grand celebration, "just for the two of us?"

Perrin's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why... because we love you, my lady," she replied, as if unprepared for the question.

"Lord Takeru?" stammered one of the nervous, older creatures further down the table.

"Hmm?" T.K. replied through a large bite of food, at the same time wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Kari cringed in embarrassment, wishing that she could sink beneath the table. He was _definitely _going to learn some dinner etiquette the next time she got him alone.

"We of the priesthood have long wondered: just what is your connection to the creature seen atop your helm at the shrine?"

"Who... Patamon?" the boy asked, and again dozens of tiny paws scrambled for scraps of paper and writing utensils. Several of the creatures called out for him to spell the name, and to pronounce it again for their records. T.K. did so, then continued. "He's my friend. Probably my best friend… present company excluded," he finished, catching Kari's eye. More wild scribbling by the scholars.

Mylam continued to peer suspiciously at the blond-haired boy, and now spoke for the first time. "And you have fought against demons, and evil spirits?"

T.K. gave a short nod. "Well, kind of… yes, I guess we have." Then he looked up at the entire group. "And we've been wondering, just how do you all--"

A shrieking racket of some sort interrupted the boy's question, and the gathering turned their attention to the far end of the table. There sat one of the musicians, and he had in his hands a type of instrument that the humans had never seen before. The sound that stemmed from it was initially loud and oppressive, but as the noise tapered off to a more tolerable volume the two children could discern a type of melody disguised within it. The music had a somber and melancholy feeling, and gradually their thoughts were drawn into the tale that the offered song had to tell.

Then the creatures at the table raised their soft voices to sing along with the sound, their words telling tales of woe and the enslavement of their people at the hands of an immoral and oppressive enemy. Kari looked entranced by the sound, tears staining her eyes, but as T.K. listened to the words of the story a vague concern started to percolate in his thoughts.

Finally, mercifully, the tragic song came to an end. Kari patted at her eyes to dry them as she clutched at Perrin's paw with her other hand. A rumbling at the far end of the table by the older creatures suggested that the questioning would once again be started, but then the same creature that had led them to the table in the first place reappeared and silenced the gathering with a gesture. "Please, all of you. It has been a long day for all of us, and I believe that the time has come to retire for the night. Particularly for our younger ones."

Mylam stood, his forepaws on the table to protest. "Grandfather-"

"Yes, for you too Mylam," the other answered, though it was now a rather moot point. Most of the other creatures, including Kari's friend Perrin, were already their feet and leaving the table at the first announcement. Several were still glancing over their shoulders in wonder at the two visitors.

"I will see you again, won't I, Perrin?" Kari asked, once again taking the other's paw.

The adolescent gave a warm, genuine smile. "I'd like that, Lady Hikari."

"Please," Mylam's grandfather said to the two humans, stepping between the pair. "There is a room at my manor that has been prepared in anticipation of your coming for many years now. That is, if you will remain with us tonight?"

T.K. and Kari glanced at one another, the same thoughts going through each of their heads. They had already been away from their world for most of the day, and certainly the others would be worried about them if they didn't come back for the entire night. Matt, Tai and the others _might_ have an idea of what had happened, but it seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, they really had no way to get back to their homes or even an idea of how they came to be here in the first place, so…

"We'd love to," said Kari, and T.K. nodded his agreement.

"Wonderful," he said, his aged voice sounding cheerful. "Mylam--" he started, but the prince was already gone. Murmuring something about the general flightiness of the young, he shrugged and led the humans from the great hall.

The walk on the way to the manor house was pleasant, though the old creature (who the two learned was named Killian) was not particularly talkative, and seemed to be almost afraid of them. He took them along a forested path which he assured them went to his home when suddenly he stopped as they heard whispered voices coming from a nearby grove, just slightly off the path that they were taking.

"Mylam?" Killian queried softly, peering off the path and into the grove. T.K. and Kari, not knowing what else to do, followed their host.

It was the prince, as well as Kari's friend Perrin that they had heard speaking in the grove. The three of them were still somewhat concealed by the thick trees around them, so that the young pair of creatures had apparently not noticed their approach yet.

"Perrin, _please_," said Mylam, taking the girl's small paws in his own and pulling her towards his furry chest. He seemed quite solicitous of the girl, and sounded far from the standoffish child that they'd met at the celebration. "At least take a moment to talk to me. Why've you been running away from me lately? I've got something that I must say to you."

The other's eyes were downcast as she sighed, but she did not turn away. "Mylam, I... I know what you want to say, because it has been in my heart as well. But it cannot be that way between us. If I have been seeing less of you, you must already know the reason. You know as well as I that your grandfather and uncle will not allow this… allow us… to happen."

Killian frowned, and was moving to interrupt the two when Mylam cleared his voice. The sound of his voice was now much more expressive, and despite the dim light from the moon and their distance from the pair they could see his paws trembling; his eyes set in a determined fashion. "Perrin?" He paused for a breath, then dropped to a knee and looked up at the girl. With an uncertainty in his voice that told them that he was unready for this, but more unwilling to wait any longer, he spoke. "Perrin... I… I promise to set your life above my own, and shall in all things defend you. This... _this is my vow_."

"M... Mylam?" the girl gasped, her eyes wide. "You... you can't--"

Killian's mouth hung open. "Oh, dear. _Oh my._ I… I had no idea things had progressed this far…"

"Uhm... I think this might be private," T.K. whispered before Kari silenced him with a glance and turned to look again.

"Please, greatest Lord," Killian muttered to the boy. "I… I must hear this…"

The prince was no longer stammering, and the words that now flowed from his lips to her ears had an evident, heartfelt meaning for the boy. "When night falls upon you, in your darkest hour, I will sustain you with all that I am. _This is my vow._" Killian was now mouthing the words along with his grandson, as if he would ensure by will alone that the other could complete the poetic declaration. "My own life I shall guard in your honor. Your maiden's virtue shall I cherish the most, and neither I nor any other shall compromise it until we are bound as one. These are my vows, Perrin, for you are my light, and I will have no other."

Perrin's eyes were wide, and her lips trembled wordlessly now. Mylam looked up at her from bended knee, and leaned his cheek against her paw in a gentle caress. "The law may legislate whom I may marry, Perrin, but it cannot tell me who to love."

Perrin managed a faltering nod, then pulled the boy from his knee and embraced him tightly. Tears were in her eyes now, and evidence of many more were damp upon her furry cheeks. Mylam nodded once, aware that she understood and that there were no more words to be spoken at the moment. The moon shown down on them in a blessing as they left the grove together, paws still bound tightly together. Shortly, T.K. and Kari followed a bemused Killian back to their own path. "Oh! That was so beautiful," the girl exclaimed, clutching her hands together in excitement.

"Takeru's Vows," Killian murmured to himself, head bowed in astonishment. "It cannot have become this serious without my knowing. I didn't think that he… that they were old enough…"

T.K. glanced sideways to their host. "My what?"

"The _Vows_. Your oaths to Lady Hikari that bind you to her. The most sacred words that can be spoken from male to female."

T.K. flushed a dark red as he glanced over at Kari. And as he thought back, he discovered that he could find in his memories the foundation of the _a'ladon's _words in his own. If he'd not said them quite as well, the promises were still the same.

Kari looked somewhat less flustered than the boy. "But why should their age make that great a difference? If he does love her, I think he was right to tell her so. They do make a lovely couple."

Killian's brow furrowed. "My grandson is our prince, My Lady, but he is still little more than a boy. He is often rash, and speaks without considering the consequences of his words. He knows well the words of the Vow, but I fear he cannot grasp the commitment that is needed to fulfill them. He is not ready to be wed."

A sputtering cough broke from T.K.'s throat. "What?"

Killian was grave. "He has spoken Takeru's Vows. For us it is as good as a proposal... in many ways, it is more. He has now promised himself to her, with no assurance that she will accept. If it _were _simply a proposal, she could decline with little harm done. That is no longer the case. He has given her his vow, and if they are not wed then it may well be that Mylam shall never take a bride. That is often the case among our people."

The grove through which the three we walking was beginning to thin now. "Perrin is a sensible girl. She cares for Mylam, but also understands that, as our prince, he has a greater duty to his people than to himself. Or to her. No matter how she responds to him when it is time for her reply... I fear nothing good can come from this."

The trio completed their remainder of the short walk to the manor house in a thoughtful silence. Both children were forced to duck as they entered the small doorway, but once inside found that it was definitely big enough to be comfortable. Killian led them down a long hallway, at the end of which he stopped and opened a much larger door. "This room has been prepared for your coming since this house has been in existence, my Lord," he bowed his head in T.K.'s direction. "And but for the builders and the priests who cleanse it, none have ever set foot inside."

"There is also a manuscript inside that was left in anticipation of your coming by the first of our greater seers." He removed a chain from about his neck, at the end of which dangled a small golden key. "The lock has not been opened since his passing, but has been kept well oiled." He handed the key to Kari, then bowed deeply before the girl.

"There is a bellpull for your use should you desire anything at all," he told the two with his head still bowed. "Please make use of it if I may attend to you in anything." Grave concern was still evident in his aged voice, and the humans wondered just how badly he had been shaken by his grandson's words.

The two entered the room side by side. It was extremely large and great care had obviously been taken in its design. On the far wall there was a lamp that produced a soft, quite pleasant light that burned with a substance that was unknown to the pair. It was clearly not fire, and seemed much too soft to be electricity.

The room was elegantly furnished, though everything seemed to be a bit large. There were lacquered tables, chairs and lace curtains. Stunningly elaborate artwork had been hung about the room, and together the children paused to stare at the paintings.

T.K. drew back just a bit as he came to the second of the paintings, and blinked in surprise. "I don't look anything like that," he protested.

The artwork was of the time when he and Angemon had defeated Devimon, though the _a'ladon _artist had downplayed the angel's role in the battle to a staggering degree. Angemon had been relegated to the background of the painting, while T.K. himself (whose clothes were in tatters, apparently to give the viewer a better appreciation of the rippling muscles in his arms and chest) was in the center, looking as though he could take on an army of Devimons.

Kari, meanwhile, examined the painting of herself. It depicted her as a great, beautiful and noble Queen encompassed by a soft white light; legions of Digimon-like creatures kneeling at her bare feet in evident worship. The scepter in her hand was crowned by the crest of Light, and a panther-like Gatomon stooped at her side.

Both children shook their heads slowly and turned around, then took notice of something that they'd somehow overlooked upon entering the room. T.K. blinked. "Umm, Kari? There's only one bed."

A sly, playful grin slowly came over the girl's face as she turned to face him, and the boy blushed a deep red beneath the smile and drew back just a bit. She allowed herself a giggle at the nervous look on his face before taking his hand and pulling him back to her side. She loved doing that to him. "I'm not going to bite, T.K. And we've been in the same bed before. I know you won't try anything... like _that_," she assured him. "Remember, _Takeru's Vows_."

The boy continued to blush nervously before his attention was drawn to something else. "Hey! The book!"

Kari looked to where the boy indicated, and together they walked over to an ornate pedestal in the corner which bore the large tome. The girl took the small key that Killian had given her and placed it into the lock, turning it to the right. She heard a small 'click' as the lock released, then T.K. unbound the clasp and started to thumb through the pages. There was so much inside that it was difficult to take in all at once.

Much of it was devoted to history, chronicling the culture of the _a'ladon_ race for almost two hundred years. There were detailed maps of both this and the surrounding lands, as well as painstaking translations from the language of the _a'ladon_ to that of the humans. Then they both stopped, coming to a section that dealt with religion...

The script on this page was more recent than the rest, and looked as though it had been meticulously drawn instead of written. Together, the pair read:

__

Hello, Lord Takeru, Lady Hikari--

My name is Orem, and I am, or from your point of view was, the first seer of my people, called a'ladon. _Allow me to expedite matters by providing some elucidation, for by this point you almost certainly have been alarmed by the welcome you received from my people. You must be aware that, unless things have changed, they all regard the two of you as gods. The fact that you are reading this, now, indicate to me that they have not changed._

I am somewhat loath to confess to you that I am the cause of your sudden deification. I have experienced visions of both of you for years, and have therefore been witness to the heroic causes that you have undertaken. But I also know that the two of you are nothing divine, and instead come from a foreign race that is called "man". But it is to my great shame that my colleagues do not share in my reverence for the truth. Many of them have shared in my visions of you both, and in attempting to surpass one another have attributed to you greater and more extravagant achievements. In time, much of what my peers have said of you has lost any relation to the truth.

I do not know what to do, but plead for your forgiveness. You must understand that my people have been under a yolk of enslavement for some time now, and primarily in the interest of giving them hope I have allowed the rumors of your divinity to continue. Surely you, Takeru, understand the importance of such hope.

Today, one of our priests has finished construction of what he calls a "dimensional portal"; a pair of rather garish idols that he claims will cause you to appear on our plane of existence. He is an old eccentric but rather brilliant in many ways, and if you are reading this, it means that his outlandish claims were true.

I have asked our high priest to forbid anyone to use the device, indeed to dismantle it at once, but again if you are reading this it means that my words have failed with him as well.

It almost shames to write what I will next, but if you will grant this old fool who has helped in abducting you away from your homes a request I will be eternally grateful.

First, please do not let it become widely known that you are not, indeed, gods. I have seen that the enslavement of my people will last far beyond my passing, and if they have called you I can only assume that it must still be so. If you must tell anyone, please speak first to whoever rules now and then to the leaders of the priesthood.

And secondly, more importantly… You are not gods, but I have seen that you have performed wonders. I beg of you, if you can find a way, please deliver my people from the evil that enslaves us. I plead with you, beg of you, please, try to find a way.

Your erstwhile servant,

Orem


	3. Honoring Takeru's Vows

Chapter III

T.K. opened his bleary eyes briefly, then shut them again to allow himself to once again drift off to sleep. He'd had a long day yesterday, and in any event it was much too early to be awake. He was just starting to doze off when he abruptly stopped, coming at once wide awake. There was something about what he had seen, and his arm felt like it was draped across…

"Good morning," Kari whispered in his ear as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

The young boy whirled off of her in alarm. So much alarm, in fact, that he tumbled right off the far edge of the bed. He had thought that he had safely positioned himself far enough away so that they wouldn't have made any... inappropriate contact during the night, but apparently his carefully contrived plan had failed him. "Uhm... g…good morning," he stammered, his eyes glancing just over the top of the bed at the girl. After a moment in which he tried (and utterly failed) to compose himself, he continued. "Uhm… just how long were we like that?"

Kari responded with a mischievous grin. "Oh, most of the night, I'd say. You were over on this side before I even fell asleep. I found it quite… cozy." The boy's cheeks turned a dark red, almost begging her to stop, but she was merciless in her continued assault on his discomfort and raised a single eyebrow. "And do you know that you talk in your sleep?"

His look was horrified, remembering what tacit confessions that the girl had gleaned from Sora when she'd done the same. "I do? Um, what…" he coughed. "What'd I say?"

"Well…" The somewhat naughty grin spreading across her face was like that of the Cheshire Cat's as she pretended to contemplate the question. "I understand that it's usually what you're dreaming about. What were you dreaming about last night, T.K.?"

Once again she had the delight of seeing his blue eyes widen in innocent dismay. "Uh, I… um... I don't _exactly _remember..." But of course, his stammering attempt to answer didn't fool her one bit. To cover it he continued quickly, "We, ah, we'd better go and find Killian so we can get this all cleared up." Their fervent welcome in this world had been almost completely explained in the text that had been written for them almost a century ago. Apparently the creatures of this world, the _a'ladon_ as they called themselves, were under the impression that both he and Kari were divine beings of some sort.

The girl looked somewhat disappointed at the change of topics, but gave a shrugging nod to concede the necessity. "But like the book said, we just tell a few of them," she insisted. "Killian, Mylam, and maybe the other two from the party. The priest and the regent."

T.K. sighed. "But Kari, we just can't let these people go on thinking that we're something we're not. That's just wrong."

"But they've been so sad for so long," the kind-hearted girl protested. "That passage in the book and Perrin both made it sound like it's been decades, and now that we're here… well, you saw how happy everyone was at the party last night."

T.K. lowered his eyes in contemplation. He too worried about crushing the spirit of these people when their own arrival the night before had filled the creatures with such hope, but allowing them to think that they were gods… the possible ramifications were terrible. He glanced at Kari, who had her determination to help their hosts clearly written on her face. "Let's just see if we can get the four that you mentioned. If we can explain it to them, maybe they'll have some suggestions."

*****

The cloaked _a'ladon_ looked up at the commander of the saurian creatures, who stood at least a head taller than him. "They're both at Killian's. That's the place I've got circled on the map. But I'll be there too, so instruct these brutes of yours not to kill anyone in the taking of her." He paused. Trusting even the smartest of these creatures to follow even simple instructions was evidently not a prospect that brought him pleasure. "As a matter of fact, tell them to leave their weapons behind."

"They're not going to like that," the other responded with a grunt. King Uriah had instructed him not to injure this annoying little creature, at least for the time being, but he wasn't certain that such an order included following his instructions.

"They don't have to like it," the furry creature hissed in response. "Just send a dozen of the smartest ones to get the goddess, the rest can tear the whole town apart for all I care. Just as long as they're well away from me." Surprisingly, it had even hurt him a little to hear himself say that, but hopefully, once enough of the people had been killed, they would give in to his reasonable suggestions and abandon the village no matter what the priesthood thought.

"And if the foreigners choose to fight?"

"I'd think that twelve of your best could handle it. Those two are not gods, no matter what everyone else thinks, and I've left orders for the manor's staff to be sent away. The creatures want a meeting with three of the others and myself, so it will be just the two of them and the four of us. That should be no problem."

The commander nodded. Intelligence was not high on the list of his people's qualifications, but he reasoned that he could find a dozen in his crew that could be persuaded not to kill anyone at the house, no matter how much they complained.

*****

Two pairs of eyes blinked in astonishment at the explanation by the human children that they were not, in fact, gods. Another tried his best, nervously, to feign astonishment, while the fourth and youngest simply did his best not to look smug.

"That... that cannot be!" Genel protested, his lips quivering and his eyes darting from one to the other in disbelief. "Our seers could not possibly have been so mistaken. For generations they have been witness to your holy battles with dark forces and your irrefutable command of angelic beings. Your liberation of the oppressed. How can you now claim that you are not gods?"

T.K. and Kari glanced sideways at one another. "Your seers weren't mistaken, sir. It's just been so long since they started telling you about us that the stories... well, just got out of hand. We _have _done a great deal of what they attribute to us, but it wasn't at all like they told you." Kari answered. "In all truth, we're really not the people you make us out to be. Actually we're just, well, kids."

"Kids?" Killian's brow furrowed for a moment, then his eyes widened in horror. "You mean kits... children?"

T.K. affirmed this with an apologetic nod. "Actually, Mylam," he indicated the prince, "and his friend Perrin seem to be a couple of years older than we are."

Even Mylam and Brennan weren't prepared for that last statement. "But the tales of you both have existed for generations," Genel insisted fervently. "Since long before my time. How then is it that you are, as you claim, younger than my granddaughter?"

T.K. chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "There's a friend of ours, who if he was here could probably explain that a little better than I can, but I can at least guess at that answer. We've found that usually, in one world, time passes much faster than it does in others."

"T.K.," Kari whispered. "Does that mean when we get back that no time will have passed? Or that we'll have been gone for years?"

The boy blinked, not having considered that point until that moment. "I... I don't know, Kari."

Now Genel and Brennan were had moved away from the others and were in the middle of a rather animated discussion. Mylam stared at his grandfather's back with a noticeably smug expression on his face.

The two continued their argument for some time, until the large doors to the room that they were in were suddenly thrown open. "Grandfather!"

"Perrin?" Genel responded, turning to the girl.

The girl was panting frantically. "Grandfather! They… they're back!" she exclaimed.

And then, in the distance, each of the others could hear the clarion call of the alarm bells tolling. "In the name of the g--" Genel began reflexively, then stopped and looked towards the humans. "They cannot be here again! This is much too soon!"

Killian rose from his seat, stoically calm in the midst of sudden panic. "Mylam," he nodded to the boy. "Go and see that the household staff is armed and the doors and windows shuttered. The rest of you, into the cellar."

"But there's no one else here!" Perrin interrupted, her paws fidgeting together nervously as she inched closer to Mylam's side.

"Child?"

"All of your servants are gone! No one answered the door when I arrived, and the rest of the house is completely deserted!"

Killian's brow was creased with concern. "But where did they all--? Very well. Everyone to the cellars. Lord Takeru, Lady Hikari, please follow Mylam."

"I don't think that will be necessary," hissed a guttural voice from behind Perrin. The girl bounded, alarmed, into the room and very nearly into Mylam's arms. The young prince put his furry paw around her and drew his blade (either a very long knife or very short sword) from the scabbard at his side. T.K. moved Kari behind him as well, his eyes scanning the room for some quick method of escape.

A large squad of the malevolent and foul-smelling creatures entered the room at Perrin's heels; a dozen of them flanking a larger one who was evidently their spokesman (or spokescreature). "Lay down your arms," he demanded, his forked tongue flicking forward to taste the air. "Surrender the girl to us and we may let you live." The stumbling emphasis that he placed on the word 'may' gave that particular alternative a rather nonsensical quality.

The eyes of both T.K. and Mylam met briefly, and then the pair nodded to one another in understanding. Now that the misconception that the two humans had actually claimed to be gods had been settled it would no longer be an impediment to the two becoming friends. Unfortunately, it seemed that it might now be too late. Which of the two girls the creatures had in mind had not been specified, but neither boy had any intention of letting the lizard-like invaders take either of them.

Mylam leapt forward with a shrill cry, throwing his small body in among the lizards and brandishing his little weapon in a manner benefiting a berserker. T.K. blinked. It was either the bravest or the most incredibly stupid action that he had ever seen in his life, since each of the creatures towered over the small _a'ladon_. And then, a moment later, he realized what the purpose of the prince's attack had been.

"Kari!" T.K. said frantically, pressing the girl towards the door at the rear of the room. "Take Perrin and go!"

"No! T.K.--"

"Kari, he can't stall them by himself. They don't want any of us, they want one of you. You've got to get her out of here!"

The brown-haired girl was indecisive for a moment, then kissed the boy quickly and darted back to the frightened Perrin. "Where does that door go?" she asked Killian, pointing to an oaken door in the far wall as T.K. placed himself between the Saurians and the others. Interestingly enough, Kari had noticed that none of their attackers was armed.

The old creature glanced back over his shoulder, then nodded. "Come, let's go," he said to the others. Genel moved to take his granddaughter by the paw, but Brennan shook his head. "You four go. I'll stay with the boys."

Killian started to object, then nodded again as he led the two girls and the priest from the room. He'd come to the same conclusion as T.K. and Mylam. When the Saurians staged an all-out assault, they held nothing back. This was a force meant to capture, not to kill, if ever he'd seen one.

T.K. was just slightly taller than the green-scaled creatures and was exceedingly less bulky, but threw himself into the battle with as much recklessness as Mylam had. In order to give the others time to flee, he had to make the Saurians see him as a threat. The boy was now matched against four of the creatures, and without hesitation he chose the one on the far right and charged, driving his shoulder deep into its midsection and taking it off its feet. T.K. rolled off the creature and to his feet in an instant, then brushed his blond hair out of his eyes to take stock of the situation.

For some reason the creatures seemed to have been caught unprepared for the boys' counterattack. Mylam was fighting brilliantly, and, despite being badly outnumbered, had wounded one of their assailants. But now a band of four had now regrouped and backed him into the corner of the room where the young creature was just able to keep them at bay with his small weapon. Another four, including the leader, had followed Kari and the others out the side door through which they had escaped, and the one that he himself had tackled was still down and retching on the floor. But that still left another three that were now advancing on him.

T.K. glanced all about him as he backed quickly away from the group, looking desperately for anything that might be construed as a weapon. He saw the group of creatures in the corner swarm Mylam under, knocking his little blade away from him. "Brennan!" he shouted, vaguely recalling that the boy's regent had opted to remain with them. "Get the--"

The young human never finished the request, for at that moment something heavy struck him in the back of his head. His vision blurred and his ears rang as he fell forward to his knees and into the waiting darkness.

*****

An abnormally loud creaking sound and unnaturally bright light brought him back to consciousness some time later. The back of his head still throbbed with pain and his entire body cried out in agony. Apparently the Saurians had been none too gentle with him after he'd fallen.

The boy tried to move his hands to shield his eyes from light that was much too bright for eyes so long in darkness, but for some reason he found that he could not. Something was preventing him from moving his hands at all. "Who's there?" he called out, and winced. Even his own voice sounded too loud...

"Shhh!" hushed a penetrating male voice, dimming whatever light he had brought with him.

"Mylam?" the human boy whispered.

The dim illumination highlighted the features of the young prince as he stared down into the boy's face. Mylam's reddish fur was matted together in several spots with even redder blood, and quickly he pulled out the weapon that he had used in the battle and knelt to saw away at the leathery bonds around T.K.'s wrists. "What happened?" the human asked, glancing to the side.

Mylam gave a frown that meant nothing good. "My uncle happened."

The answer was worse than cryptic. "What?"

"Brennan. He's betrayed us. He was the one that struck you from behind." Mylam finished sawing the bond from at the other boy's hands and moved to free his feet as well. T.K. rubbed his wrists to restore circulation and sat up. "Where are we?"

"In the cellar."

"Why are we whispering?"

The _a'ladon's _eyes narrowed, but his anger was not with the human. "Because the household staff has now returned, and Brennan has officially branded _me _a traitor. You're supposed to be dead, and soon will be if we don't get out of here soon." He finished his work on T.K.'s feet and sheathed his small blade. "I've no idea how long he was planning this, but he's given the others over to the Saurians and declared martial law in the village… what's left of it."

The younger boy could've done without the rest. "Kari?" he demanded.

"And Perrin. I saw them being taken away with my own eyes, and couldn't do anything to stop it. My grandfather and hers are captured as well... or dead. I'd guess the latter. Brennan won't let them live knowing what they know. Now we'd best get out of here. Brennan doesn't like to leave loose strings, and I'd rather not be here when he decides to rectify this one."

T.K. hopped down from the table on which he had lain, trying to ignore the uncomfortable tingling sensation as blood came rushing back to his feet. "So where do we go?"

Mylam raised an eyebrow at the nonsensical question. The human's eyes locked with the other's and he nodded, his brow still furrowed in anger. Of course, he was going after Kari. "Just making sure we're of one mind here. Do you know where they're taking them?"

Mylam lowered his head in shame, unwilling to meet T.K.'s eyes for a moment. "I do. We... we've always known where they take our people. But we've never had anyone make an effort to go after them before."

The human looked inquisitively at his rescuer. "And now you want to? I've told you that I'm no god, and you can probably see for yourself that I'm not the one in the paintings all around this place."

"But I already knew all of that, Takeru. My mother was the seventh child of a seventh child, and had the gift of Sight as well. She knew the truth, no matter how much the priesthood tried to bury it. I've never believed that you're a god, but there _is _something about you," he paused, as if he would decipher the other's character with his eyes. "And I do believe in Takeru's Vows. That much of the stories is true, at least?"

The boy nodded. "I have said those things to Kari. It wasn't as poetic as when you spoke them to Perrin, but I have said them."

Mylam started to ask a question of the other, then stopped. "So you do know. My grandfather would have forbidden it had he found out, but--"

"He was there with us, Mylam. He saw the whole thing too."

The other's lips quivered for a moment, and there was a dazed look in his eyes. "And... and he said nothing. Then he would have allowed us--.." He shook his head slowly, the realization of an opportunity missed too painful to speak about in that moment. He looked up. "And then you throw yourself, weaponless, into a fight against a dozen Saurians. That was either the bravest or the most foolhardy thing that I've ever seen."

T.K. nodded. "I thought the same about you."

"I'm going to trust that it was bravery." He placed his paw in T.K.'s hand firmly, his blue eyes mirroring the human boy's own. "I am going to fulfill my vows. Will you come with me to fulfill your own?"

__

I promise to set your life above my own, and in all things defend you... It was more than a spoken promise. It was the way he'd lived his life since he'd met her, sometimes without knowing why. He would not surrender her to whatever evil the Saurians had planned. He nodded at the other boy and shook the paw once, firmly. "To fulfill my vows," he answered.


	4. Lady Hikari Lightbringer

Chapter 4

****

"Quickly now!" the _a'ladon _prince called over his shoulder in a fervent whisper as he scampered among the trees outside his manor.

T.K. did his best to keep up with the other boy, though he knew that even under the best of circumstances there would be no way for him to keep up with the fleet-footed _a'ladon_. And the injuries that he had apparently sustained after being rendered unconscious made it painful to even try. "We can't run the whole way there, can we?" the boy panted, holding his ribs tightly. It hurt just to breathe.

Mylam frowned, taking notice of the human's condition as he returned to his side. "Of course not. Even traveling the open roads it would take us half a day to get there. The way that we'll have to go, probably twice that. But we've got to get away from the town before my uncle realizes that you've escaped."

"But why not just go back to your village? If your people think that I'm some kind of god…"

Mylam shook his head to interrupt. He had already considered, and decided against, that option. "Now that he's set marital law in the town he'll have it under curfew, and the only ones who will be accessible will be his soldiers. With luck we might be able to get a message to Lugh and his _Laenites_, but that could take days to arrange and we've got no one to trust with such a message. Those Saurians were after Perrin and Lady Hikari for a reason, Takeru. We haven't got days."

"So just you and me against the whole of the Saurian nation?" the human boy asked. "Do I even want to know how big it is?"

Mylam gave a bitter smile, his blue eyes narrowing on the other. "Why? Are you looking for a reason not to go?"

T.K.'s echoed the challenging glare with one of his own, sensing that the other was testing him. "No. Mylam, I'm coming back with Kari, or I'm not coming back. Don't mistake prudence for cowardice. No matter that we're not the gods your people have made us out to be; you can't have any idea of the bonds between the two of us."

Mylam raised his chin, then nodded his approval. He'd had to significantly adjust his thinking since the revelation that this creature was actually younger than he himself was. And briefly, very briefly, when he had spoken of Hikari, the prince had caught a glimpse of what was special about the other. "Good, then. Come over here," he said, indicating a large tree just off the path.

T.K. followed, and soon Mylam struggled to pull a long, sturdy wooden rod from behind the tree where it had been concealed. "I took this from the armory of the True Believers. It was the biggest one I could find. Do you really know how to use it, or was that part of the stories untrue as well?"

T.K. took the weapon. It was similar to the one that Angemon had wielded during their time in the digital world, the one that his friend had played at teaching him to fight with. And he _had _used something similar during his battle with Tai when the older boy had been possessed by Piedmon's spirit, but to actually choose it to defend himself…?

Still, it felt solid in his hand, and he nodded a response. "I can use it." It was far better than nothing, which was what he'd had against the Saurians back in Killian's mansion.

"Good," the prince said. "I left a few things here before I went back to get you… a very few things."

Mylam donned a dark green cloak and buried his blue one in the leaves. He then tossed one of a similar hue to T.K. as well. "We'll be in the forest most of the time, and the Saurians' eyes aren't that good to begin with. Hopefully these will hide us from them most of the time."

The garment was somewhat large on the human boy, but not so much as to become a hindrance. Finally he watched as the young prince draped a thin, silvery object around his neck. Satisfied, Mylam gave himself a quick once over. "Ready?" he asked.

****

Kari and Perrin sat huddled together in the cold, damp cell in which they had been placed. The older girl was crying, and Kari stroked her soft fur in an attempt to comfort her. "Perrin, please don't cry," she whispered. Then, with a sudden revelation, she removed the crest of Light from where it was bound to her wrist. The delicate illumination coming from the crystal seemed to calm the other, whose tears faded into halting sniffles.

"Oh, Lady Hikari!" the girl exhaled, burying her face into the human's shirt. Kari's expression turned grim for a moment. Perrin had not been at most of the meeting, and so was still under the misguided impression that she was a goddess of some sort.

The crest warmed slightly in her hand, and the illumination level increased ever so slightly. "Perrin, look at it," Kari whispered.

The other did as requested, the glimmering object reflecting merrily in her soft, brown eyes. "You... you are the Lightbringer," she whispered fervently.

Kari refused to destroy what little hope her friend had left by correcting her. "Touch it," she said, nodding at the crest.

Perrin hesitantly stretched out a furry paw, then brushed her fingers against it. "It's so warm," she said, smiling in relief at the marvel.

"Do you know what it means?" The young _a'ladon_ girl shook her head. Kari smiled with the knowledge that she herself _did _know. It was the inaudible call of Light's crest to the Crest of Heroes. "It means that he… that they're coming after us."

"Who?"

The crest was inundating the girl with the faith and resolve that it always did whenever T.K. acted on her behalf, fortifying her strength that might otherwise have failed. It had done much the same thing months ago when she would have died, but for the boy. "T.K. and Mylam. They're on the way here."

"Teekay?"

"Ahem, the Lord Takeru," Kari corrected herself.

The furry creature's eyes reflected the glow of the crest with delight. "Mylam?" she whispered to herself in exultation. "With Lord Takeru? Does that mean that he finally believes?" She smiled softly to herself.

Kari smiled at the other girl, then realized with surprise that she was no longer afraid for herself. The light from the crest had vanquished most of her fear, and the rest was overwhelmed by sudden concern for the boy who was coming to her rescue. She lowered her head into her hands as the image of the boy's beautiful, innocent eyes coalesced in her thoughts. And that messy blond hair that just would not stay out of those eyes. He _was _coming for her, but that could easily get him hurt... possibly even killed. It was at that moment she realized that there was nothing that she would not do to have him there with her, to hold him again, if only just for a moment.

*****

"Why did you bring them both?" the cowled creature demanded of the guard captain. "You were commanded to bring me the outlander. I have no use for the _a'ladon._"

"Humblest apologies," the thick creature muttered, lowering its scaly head in a modicum of shame, "for the fault lies solely with me. I had not anticipated the arrival of the second girl, and in my haste had ordered the soldiers to capture only the female while leaving the males. The arrival of a second of that gender confused them."

"Put her to death," the king muttered callously, lounging lazily atop his throne. "We have an abundance of slaves, and too little food for them as it is."

The captain bowed and turned as if to go, but then the king's counselor froze it with a word. "Wait," it murmured, lifting a single hand. There was a momentary pause, as if the creature were contemplating a point. "You had said that they show a fondness of one another?"

"So it seems. The outlander injured herself in an attempt to keep one of men from the _a'ladon_, who then returned the gesture by defending the outlander when she was in danger."

The creature hidden beneath the dark folds of cloth seemed to consider this for a moment. Then it gave a nod of the head. "Then keep her alive. There is something that I need from the foreigner, and her friend may prove very useful to me as a bargaining piece, should it come to that."

The king glanced quizzically at his advisor, but then shrugged. "Very well," he countermanded his earlier order. "Keep the second girl alive. Pick one of the other slaves and kill it."

The captain bowed and turned on his heel, his shoulders stiff with military precision as he moved through the large doors. "And you," the counselor droned to another one of the assembled guards. "Select three others and bring said captives before me."

Several of the older sentinels' eyes shifted enviously towards the other. He had been newly assigned to the Guard to replace one of their comrades who had been slain in the earlier raid. Young and quite brash, it was widely whispered among them that the sole reason for his sudden promotion was that his father was their captain.

The young guard, however, made no move to comply with the command. "I said _you_," the counselor accentuated with a thrust of a finger.

But the brash Saurian still did not move, though this time it was clear to all that he knew that the order had been directed at him. Instead he turned in place and stared at the creature in a conceited manner. "Are you speaking to me, _counselor_? For I am the King's Own, and have sworn to serve his crown to the ignorance of all others. Never do I recall having taken any oath to obey a pile of filthy rags such as you."

Everyone froze in place, particularly the captain, who had heard his son's words as he opened the exit to the room. "What?" the king bellowed, rising halfway out of his seat. "Why you insolent--"

The counselor silenced the monarch with a dismissive gesture. "What did you say?" it demanded, its voice a sibilant echo within the cloth.

The Saurian's eyes narrowed dangerously. "When the king himself gives an order, that is the instant in which I will obey. Why would you expect that I obey you, when none of us even knows what manner of creature you are?"

The captain stepped back into the room, his reptilian heart being rapidly inside his chest. "Stand to attention, soldier!" he snapped, hoping that a quick rebuke on his part would forestall any more serious punishment from the king.

But it was not to be, as neither of the principals took notice of him. The counselor then pulled itself up to its full height, which was much greater than its normally hunched-over appearance would suggest. "So it appears that there is a lesson to be learned by all today. Pay attention, please, the rest of you, because I hope to not have to repeat what will happen here today." And with that the creature started to slowly unwind the dark cloth from about its head. The gathered assemblage gave a collective gasp as they finally were able to put a face to the rasping voice.

The ostensibly female creature was pale... deathly pale, as any human cadaver. The only color manifest on her face was her lips, which were a shade of crimson so dark that they might well have been black. Her eyes were little more than dark, hollow sockets in the framework of her ashen face, and the hair atop her head was a mottled gray and filthy with grease and debris. The entire gathering in the throne room was stunned into immobility by her hideousness, and the creature continued to unwind the rags about her body.

She stepped away from the fallen cloak, her body naked and as ashen as her face. Feathered wings, which were as filthy as her hair, drooped limply from her back, and monstrous claws extended from her fingers and toes. Observing her horrid nudity, several of the guards dropped to their knees on the stone floor of the room and became violently ill.

The creature gave a shudder as the gaping and bloody wound on her left shoulder, seared once by holy fire, was exposed to air yet again. She had lived with the pain from that wound for a century and more, and knew now with certainty that it would never heal. Alone, she reasoned, the girl had no power to harm her. But the boy… well, of that she was not so certain. And the two of them together! Even a glancing blow from the power that they wielded as one had given her the deadly injury and had hurled her from that dimension into this. Hence her private instructions to Brennan to kill the other human when the girl had been taken.

"Now this is my lesson, and learn it well _lizards_," she leered mockingly, directing her long forefinger at the defiant guard. "Hades... Thorn... _Barrage_!"

As the last syllable left the creature's lips a nexus of dark power swirled into existence on her fingertip, then exploded from the finger and struck the young guard a thunderous blow on his chest. The intensity of the burst was awe-inspiring, and instantly seared through the guard's armor and scaly skin to cut into his flesh, hurling his body high into the air. There was no doubt among the others that he'd been killed instantly, so violent was the attack, but still the counselor continued her deadly assault; each subsequent burst of power blasting bits of flesh and blood from the guard's body. Several seconds later (though it could have been hours to the horrified crowd), she allowed what was left of the body to drop back the floor, twenty feet below from where she had held it suspended.

Those who had not been sick before now were, falling to their knees and gagging repeatedly as they wiped green blood and bits of entrails from their bodies. The captain alone could bear to look at the smoking, skeletal carcass of what had been his only son.

When the heaving had stopped the remaining guards dared to look up once again. What they saw was the same cloaked figure that they had always seen, and now it indicated another of the Saurians with a finger. "You. Select three others and bring the captives before me."

The soldier pointed wildly at three of his comrades and dashed to the door, tripping over his own feet as he went.

*****

"What do you mean, 'no longer there?' " the regent shouted furiously.

The _a'ladon _guard stood to attention amidst Brennan's fury. "He is gone, Majesty. His bonds have been severed, and, if I am permitted to speculate, I do not believe that he could have done it on his own."

"Mylam." The other frowned. But for the pending return of the household staff he would have killed both the 'god' and his nephew at once. However, since several of the workers had returned early, he'd been forced to simply have the Saurians stop chasing after the prince and bind the boy god to the table in the cellar. He had reasoned that it would be a simple matter to send one of his troops alone to the basement to slit the child's throat.

"Sire?"

Brennan held up a paw to silence the other. The two attacks in under three days had finally given the excuse that he needed to declare martial law, so there was no chance that Mylam would be able to get help in the village. The only ones accessible to him there would be the militia. But now free, where would the two go…?

__

After the girls, fool. Of course. Killian had already informed him that Mylam had spoken Takeru's Vows with Perrin, and so would be honor-bound to go to her rescue.

"Leave me," Brennan snapped the curt order to his private guard. Though it troubled him, he knew what must be done now.

The other turned with a bow and left. Brennan grimaced and glanced over his shoulder to make certain that the other was gone, then took the dark jewel from its chain around his neck and, with a shake of his head, smashed it onto his desk.

A dark vapor instantly escaped from the shattered gem and gathered in front of him, arraigning itself into a solid image on the desktop. "What is it?" the cowled creature exhaled.

"The boys have escaped, Lady," he murmured quickly. The dark creature had told him that his messages sent in this manner must be brief. "The outlander Takeru and my nephew Mylam are on their way to you now."

The other's fury was evident even in the image. "Damn you, Brennan! Was it too much to ask of you to kill two children? Come to me, at once. Leave now!" The directive was delivered with uncharacteristic haste, almost as if the other were panicked at the prospect of facing the pair. But before he could respond, however, the figure again dissolved into smoke and dissipated on a gentle breeze. The regent sighed, then called again for his guard.

"Sire?" the other answered promptly.

"Make ready my traveling clothes. I'll be leaving soon."

*****

T.K. looked up… and up… and up. Another mountain. Once, just once, why couldn't the bad guys live at the bottom of a valley or something? His ribs were still aching terribly, and he didn't at all relish the idea of continuing such a climb.

The trip to through the forest to the foot of the mountain had been relatively uneventful, even peaceful. T.K. wasn't certain whether to attribute that to the Saurians' carelessness or Mylam's woodcraft.

__

Kari would love this place, the blond-haired boy thought. He and Mylam had come to know quite a bit about one another during their journey, and the more they talked the better friends they became. The prince had recounted most of the stories about 'Lord' Takeru and 'Lady' Hikari that were spread among his people, and T.K. in turn had pointed out what basis in fact the tales had, if any.

Then Mylam lifted his snout and gave the air about them a cautious sniff. "Off the path," he whispered to the human boy.

T.K. nodded and slid into the woods after his friend, the prince's grace making him feel uncharacteristically clumsy. Moments later a large, well-armed group of the lizard-like creatures passed close to where they crouched, concealed behind one of the impossibly large trees which grew in this land. One, who was apparently the leader, grunted an order to several of the group who turned and started a slow climb up the mountain, passing within several feet of the boys' position.

"And the four of you, that way," the leader grunted to another group, who also split off from the main body and entered the forest from which T.K. and Mylam had just emerged. "Remember, if you find them, kill them… no questions asked, no quarter given."

The divisions continued several more times after that, and each time a group of four or five of the creatures were sent off in a different direction. The two boys stood stock-still the entire time, until finally, mercifully, the final group left along the path which lead back to the _a'ladon_ village.

"Damn Brennan," spat Mylam. "He's already won. Did he have to tell them that we were coming?"

"So much for our sneak attack, right?" T.K. asked.

The prince looked at the younger boy. "Is this some sort of game for you, Takeru?"

The human frowned. "No. No, it isn't, Mylam. I've already told you how deadly serious this is to me. But being so grim about it isn't going to help us, or them, any."

Mylam looked chastised, then nodded. "I guess I'm just worried about her… them."

T.K. nodded back. "Me too." Then he had a thought, and brought his crest out from under his shirt. And of course it was throbbing with a warm radiance and marking the boy with golden honor, as it tended to do when he acted bravely on Kari's behalf. And somewhere behind the sound of the powerful heartbeat from the talisman, he was almost sure that he could just make out a peculiar dialogue that he _felt _rather than heard. But it was so faint that he couldn't be certain just what it was trying to communicate to him.

The prince glanced over T.K.'s shoulder to see what held his attention, then turned again to the climb before them. It would be much too dangerous for them to take the path, being patrolled as it was, so it looked as if they would have to continue on further into the forest. "Let's get going," he muttered.

T.K. nodded, and pushed his reassurance back into the crest. _I'm coming, Kari._

*****

"I'm scared, my Lady," Perrin whimpered to Kari as the two made their way through a maze of prison cells, escorted by four brutal-looking guards.

"No talking," one of the creatures trailing behind them snapped.

Kari glanced over her shoulder at the speaker and affixed him with a glare, then dropped her hand to grasp her friend's tiny paw. "It'll be okay," she whispered in response, not at all sure that it would.

The two were led to a large pair of wooden doors, which one of the guards pushed open. The duo behind the two captives then shoved them, none-too-gently into the room, then turned on their heels and left. The king's counselor had ordered that she be left alone with these creatures, and after what they'd seen earlier in the throne room, none had any desire to question her commands.

Kari stumbled once, then turned and caught her friend by the arm when it seemed Perrin would have fallen. The room in which they'd been left in was surprisingly barren, and was built of the same sort of dark rock as the rest of the fortress. There was but a single inhabitant in that room, and that inhabitant's dark clothing seemed to allow it to melt into the gloom of the place.

"Welcome to you, _Lady _Hikari," the dark figure murmured, almost inaudibly.

Kari frowned a response, her brow furrowing. "Who are you?" she demanded, the words seeming to echo back to her from the cavernous room.

"One who thought to never see _you_ again," was the reply. A moment afterwards the figure pulled itself to its full height and slowly moved towards the two frightened girls. Disturbingly to Kari's eyes its feet never once seemed to touch the ground, and Perrin caught the girl's arm and buried her face against it.

The figure reached them and started to drift around them in a circular pattern. Kari kept her eyes straight ahead, as if in refusal to acknowledge the other despite her curiosity. The stench of the creature flooded her nostrils with an almost overpowering odor. Overpowering as well as disturbingly familiar…

Kari's nerve finally broke and she turned on the creature. "What do you want with us?"

"Ah, now that is the question, is it not? Why were you brought before me, and Takeru left to his fate at the hands of these Saurians? The simple answer is that I want nothing from your _a'ladon _companion. Nothing, but that she assure your cooperation. Because from you I want... _everything_!" And with the last word the creature reared back and tore the cowl from her head, again allowing her repulsive visage to be seen.

"You!" exclaimed Kari, her eyes and the crest bound to her wrist glimmering with a simultaneous flash. But Perrin, at the girl's side, was stunned into oblivion at the horror of the sight and collapsed lifelessly to the floor, her paw slipping from Kari's grasp.

"So you do remember," the other almost purred. "But then, of course, it has been only a manner of months for you since last we met." Kari snarled at the abomination, and thrust her crest forward as if a threat. "Now pray do not bother with what we both know is a futile gesture," the angel continued. "Do you think me ignorant? I also know the secret of the unity of faith, and your light is only the preservative half. Without the boy, you are powerless to attack me."

Kari, of course, hadn't known any such thing. She surrendered an involuntary step away from the other. "You should be dead."

" 'Should be', in this instance, is a far cry from the truth, child. Now, at the last, I will have what I need from you. The power, my ultimate power, shall be mine to wield."

Kari was terrified, but steadfastly refused to let it show. The crest of Light on her wrist was still keeping the creature at bay, and she remembered her brother's confrontation with Roan during that time. The power that the creature sought from her had to be given, and could not be taken by force. "I won't give you what you want!"

The dark eyes, disturbingly free of pupils, now fell from Kari to the unconscious girl at her feet. "Are you so certain of that?" she smiled menacingly.


	5. Royal Evolution, Mylam!

Chapter 5

Kari stared silently into the gloom of the cell that she shared with Perrin, the fallen angel's threats still echoing in her ears. _You will surrender it to me, child._

No! I won't give you what you want!

And are you so confident of that? Think before you speak, child, and do not be so certain of your trinket's power to guard you. I have been told of the friendship between you and this creature, and though you may be unassailable for the moment, she is not. I can, if necessary, unleash upon her almost unlimited amounts of pain and suffering before sending her to death's cold embrace. And if her pain alone is not enough to force your compliance... well, I do have several hundred more of these creatures locked up in this place. And each one will suffer and die slowly until you do yield.

Perrin's eyes flickered open, her head resting in Kari's lap. Alarmed at her surroundings, the creature bolted upright. "Lady Hikari!"

"I'm here, Perrin," the human answered with a calm she did not feel, taking her friend's furry paw and stroking it lightly. "It's okay, we're back in our cell."

"My… my Lady," the other stammered timidly. "What manner of creature was that?"

Kari's face was bleak and further upset the other girl, who still lingered under the impression that the human was the goddess of her people. "One that we thought had been vanquished some time ago."

"But you _can _fight her?" the other stammered, a pleading quality in her voice.

The brown-haired girl bit down on her bottom lip. What had the dark angel called it? _The unity of faith. _Was that the potent, divine light that echoed her love for T.K. when they were threatened with evil? The radiant aura that had saved them from the fallen angels, and before that from the insane ghost of Piedmon? The bonding of his Hope and her Light? Faith? "I.. I don't think so, Perrin. Not without T… Lord Takeru."

The older girl face fell, her eyes reflecting Kari's own fear. Again for reassurance she held the crest that was bound tightly to her wrist against her chest. _Please, T.K., hurry. I need you. More than ever before, I need you now._

*****

Back in the forest, T.K. and Mylam had another sort of problem. They had finally been cornered by one of the Saurian patrols that were lurking about the mountainside, and had been brought to battle with the creatures.

"Mylam!" shouted the human boy as he rolled away from the thrust of a Saurian's long spear. But his young _a'ladon _friend was far too busy fighting against another two of the creatures to give any aid or response. T.K.'s mind was working frantically, trying to call to mind everything that Angemon had taught him about fighting with such a staff in his hands, but those lessons had been three long years ago.

The only reason that the lizard-creature had not yet won the fight was that all of his life he had been trained to fight Mylam's people, the _a'ladon, _who were much shorter and less sturdy than the human boy. The Saurian appeared to be unable to adjust his approach to battle in light of the fact that he was now facing a much larger and stronger opponent. Still, it would not be long now.

T.K. staggered backwards. The bulky creature was much tougher than he was, and though the boy's stamina was greater it was rapidly being worn down by his opponent's incessant onslaught. T.K. winced and collapsed to one knee as the force of the last blow he'd caught with his weapon overwhelmed him completely. The power behind it had been tremendous, and the pain in the boy's injured ribs suddenly became unbearable.

Then, inexplicably, a vision of Kari slowly began to coalesce in T.K.'s mind. She was alone and frightened, kneeling on the cold stone of a prison cell and awaiting an unpleasant fate. T.K. felt a great regret that now, at the last, he could not be there for her. He was all she had, and he was going to fail her. But just then, as the boy's dazed psyche latched onto the girl in his final moments, the crest of Hope also became conscious of the image.

The talisman was resting against the bare skin of the boy's chest, and suddenly awoke with a blistering jolt of heat that burned throughout T.K.'s flesh and blood without hurting him. It pulled the young human to his feet and slapped him smartly across the face to bring him back to his senses, then enhanced his body with a strength and courage that was drawn forth from his indomitable soul. The boy's eyes blinked twice in rapid succession, and upon opening the second time a halo of blue light had set to crowning his dark pupils.

His Saurian opponent was clearly shaken at the conspicuous change in the human's countenance. All of his life he had heard the slaves held in the fortress talk of their god, Lord Takeru the Oathkeeper. But he had, up until that very instant, considered those tales little more than a myth; his own superiors, after all, had said that this was a child simply impersonating the 'god'. Now though, as the other fought to his feet and launched his own remarkable offensive, he began to believe. There was suddenly something about this creature, something that made him believe and turned the cold blood in his veins turn to ice.

The creature's guard dropped just enough. With the new power that the crest had poured into his body, T.K. lunged forward and swung a mighty blow at the side of his opponent's head, connecting with a bone-crunching thud. The Saurian's eyes went vacant as it swooned, then collapsed to the ground at T.K.'s feet.

The young boy whirled about, his eyes searching out small friend. It was a moment before he found Mylam and his foes a good distance away. He could see the prince duck expertly under the thrust of one of the creatures and stab the other cleanly though the chest with his small blade, but then the human watched in horror as the _a'ladon_ was unable to pull the weapon from the dead body as it fell. The blade was wrenched from his grasp and was trapped beneath the corpse, and even from his position T.K. could hear the remaining Saurian's hissing laugh. The human boy sprinted through the woods to assist his friend, but it was clear that he had much too far to go and far too little time to come to Mylam's aid.

T.K.'s eyes narrowed as the lizard thrust the spear at Mylam. The nimble prince slid to the side and caught the shaft of the weapon under his arm, then removed from his cloak the silvery object that the boy had seen him place there before. _A whistle?_

Apparently a whistle it was, for at that point Mylam placed the object to his lips, faced the Saurian and sounded a single, ear-piercing note.

The creature released his grip on his weapon, astounded, as he was suddenly picked up by an invisible force and hurled though the air at a tremendous velocity. Mylam's human ally was equally surprised, and watched as the Saurian was thrown violently into the side of a gargantuan tree with a speed that shattered both bone and wood. Green blood exploded from the creature's mouth, and the side of the tree that had been struck was blasted free of bark.

T.K. finally reached Mylam's side, just as the older boy was retrieving his weapon from the body of the first creature that he had killed. "Is yours… dead... too?" the prince panted.

T.K. swallowed, his heart beating furiously against the inside of his chest as he shook his head. "Don't think so. Just unconscious." He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and motioned at the second creature. "How did you do that?"

Mylam sheathed his blade and looked down at the tiny instrument in his other hand. "It's an inherited gift from my father's side of the family, like the second sight from my mother's. The _Laenites _call it the Holy Symphony, and say that it's a sign of royal favor from--" He glanced at the other boy, then back to the body of the creature. "That was clumsy, and certainly wasn't very holy. With my other hand free I could've done better."

"Better? It saved your life. What else can you do with it?"

Mylam spun the little whistle around his fingers and pocketed it again. He shrugged. "A lot depends on the instrument I'm playing on. Not very much with this one."

"Why didn't you bring something else?"

The prince looked at him, one eyebrow askew. "Did you want me lugging my pipes along with us? We're supposed to be in a hurry."

Mylam led the way back to where the Saurian that T.K. had felled lay. Grimly the older boy pulled out his sharp blade again and pressed it against the creature's throat, and in alarm the human grabbed him by the furry paw to hold him back. "Mylam! What are you doing?"

"Killing this thing, and fast. That 'note' I played is going to tell every single one of these things within a mile where we are, so we'd better do it quickly and get out of here."

"But you can't just..." the human boy protested. "I mean--"

Mylam's eyes narrowed on the other boy. "Takeru, a moment ago he would have done the same to you without a second thought," he chastised. "And much as I'd like to, we aren't going to make it to the city without killing some of them."

"I know... and I guess that I would have killed him too if I'd have found a way. But to do it when he's like this just seems… I don't know… wrong."

The older prince sighed and just kept his eyes from rolling. "So what do you want to do with--?" He cut himself off short, then nodded and handed his bladed weapon to the boy. "If this doesn't work, please don't be too decent to kill him before he gets his claws into me," he muttered, again removing his flute from his pocket.

Mylam took a deep breath and began to pipe a short, merry-sounding series of notes on the object, and T.K. watched as the Saurian creature blinked its eyes once, then opened them completely. The look on its face was still somewhat glazed over and the creature wobbled unsteadily as it pulled itself to its feet. "Wha--?"

Mylam continued to play, more rapidly now, as the creature turned its eyes on him. There was an answering glare of loathing in the eyes of the boy, and then T.K. was reminded that creatures like this one had been responsible for the murder and enslavement of the other's people for well over a hundred years. Then the _a'ladon _prince suddenly brought the merry tune to a halt and addressed the creature. "Can you get us into the fortress city?" he demanded. "_En-Grela_?"

The other looked at him stupidly, then slowly started to nod. Mylam turned and nodded once at T.K., who returned the prince's weapon to him as the other pocketed his whistle. "What did you do to him?" the human whispered.

Mylam smiled. "He's enthralled... bound to my suggestions," he responded. "As long as the suggestions aren't too complex, at least."

T.K. looked uncertainly at the other. "If you can do something like this, how is it that these things have been terrorizing your people for so long?"

The smile turned a bit more grim now. "It's a little unreliable, and I can only enchant one or two at a time. Plus the smarter ones can usually shake it off, and it doesn't last very long besides."

Then, seeming to ignore the two boys, the lizard-like creature started to slowly trudge up the side of the mountain. T.K. watched as his small friend moved to follow the hulking creature, then was struck with an inspiration. Racing back to the creature that Mylam had crushed into the tree the human boy stripped it of the red garments that it was wearing, and carried them along as he joined Mylam and his willing slave on the trek.

The prince peered at his younger friend, brow furrowed. "Disguise?"

T.K. nodded a response, looking troubled. He could not shake the vision of Kari that he had seen, alone and afraid. _Kari, please hold on. I'm coming… I promise._

*****

Brennan and the Saurian king glanced to the side at one other, murmuring in quiet tones as they knelt in submission to the dark angel. Kari was chained by the wrists to the wall behind the creature, and a bright aura of light flowed from her torso to that of the dark temptress, who no longer appeared weak or filthy. Now her feathered wings spread triumphantly about the room, plunging it into an even greater darkness.

Perrin was chained by the neck at the creature's feet, and whimpered softly at the evil presence towering over her. Kari reeled in weakness as she caught sight of the young _a'ladon _girl, and tears came to her eyes as the light that embodied her purity powered the evil creature to a great dominance. _Perrin… T.K. … I'm sorry._

"Now!" the dark creature addressed the kneeling pair. "The two of you, as well as your respective peoples will be my slaves… _forever_. Any resistance on your behalf will be met with pain and suffering beyond your mortal ability to comprehend. Observe!" The hideous creature clapped her hands together twice, and in response two Saurian guards pushed their way into the room, dragging an aged and struggling _a'ladon _between them. The wicked creature's eyes sparked with a cruel light as she extended her palm towards the three. "Hades Thorn _Barrage_!" she shrieked. A massive surge of darkness flew towards the group from her hand, and the two guards cried out in dismay as they were crushed by the power, along with their captive.

"We were supposed to have been friends," the Saurian king whispered to the angel from his knees.

"Fool!" the other spat back. "Infant! Do I look as though I _need _friends or allies? What kind of friends would you be, anyway? A race that turns on and enslaves its peaceful neighbors the moment that I come to their world and offer them the opportunity? Or one whose leader betrays his own people to their deaths in order to seize power for himself? Hah!"

Tears continued to fall from Kari's eyes, but she no longer had the strength to sob. Practically all of her life-energy was being sucked from her body in order to supplement to angel's power. The girl knew that she should try to fight back, to resist... but then Perrin and the others…

"And don't even contemplate a betrayal of me," the angel warned, looking directly at Brennan. The _a'ladon's _eyes widened in dismay, and the angel laughed. "Oh yes. I know your thoughts every bit as well as you do. I know every choice that either of you will make before it even occurs to you as an option. Don't you understand? You sought my power, but in return you each surrendered to me your souls. You will be my slaves, willing or not, until the day that both of you die!"

*****

"Mmph!" muttered Mylam, clinging tightly to T.K.'s back beneath the robe that the boy had stripped from the dead Saurian.

"Shh!" the human returned, bowing his head and following their ensorcelled guide through the dark gates of the city.

"Easy enough for you to say, Takeru," complained the prince with a murmur. "It smells like rotting fish inside here. It's positively rancid."

"Well we did take it from the body of a dead Saurian, and he'd obviously been living in it for a while. Don't blame me for how the thing smells."

"I wasn't talking about the clothing, I was talking about you. How long has it been since you bathed? If you expect your Lady Hikari to be happy to see you when we get to them, you can only pray that we find a bathhouse on the way."

"Quiet, we're going in now," T.K. murmured, mortified. He was keeping the hood of the cloak down over his eyes and had hunched over, both to conceal Mylam and in an attempt to emulate the lumbering gait of the Saurians. The added weight of the young prince clinging to his back was worsening the dull ache in his ribs, yet still he tried to simply follow the creature in front of him.

Because of the leadership of their guide, the disguise, or perhaps because most of the personnel from the city were out patrolling the mountainside looking for them, they were not challenged on the way into the massive fortress.

Mylam hopped down from T.K.'s back, and after what had seemed like an eternity of pain the human boy was able to straighten up again. He exhaled in relief and placed a hand on ribs.

Mylam turned to the ensorcelled Saurian. "Now get back out there," he instructed, motioning towards the gate. "Forget you took us in here, and tell any of your company that you come across that we were spotted at the _bottom _of the mountain."

The look on the creature's face was still one of bedazzlement, and turned to take his leave of the boys. Mylam frowned at the broad shoulders of the other as it lurched away. "I hope that wasn't too much for him to understand. Now, you're sure that you can find your way to the girls without him, right?" he whispered.

T.K. nodded, closing his eyes to see the vision behind them. The golden warmth of the crest resting against his bare skin told him exactly which way to go to find Kari, as well as the fact that she was tired, weak and afraid. "Let's go," he whispered, motioning towards the largest building in the city.

Mylam nodded, and together the two of them crept along the narrow, cobbled city streets. Their caution, however, was evidently unwarranted, as they neither met nor even saw any sign of any of the lizard-creatures on their way to the building. "What'd they do? Empty out the whole city to go and look for us?" T.K. whispered.

Mylam shrugged, though his eyes said that something was wrong. Certainly the king of the Saurians, even if Brennan had revealed that they were coming, shouldn't be afraid of the approach of the two boys. By all counts the creature was powerful and quite poised, and certainly not subject to the kind of paranoia that it would take for him to send an entire army against a couple of small children.

It was seemingly mere moments later when they reached the building where T.K.'s crest told him that Kari was being held, and Mylam pulled his weapon from the sheath at his side. The black doors were massive but unguarded, and opened at a brief shove from the young prince's paw. The two looked at one another. "I do _not _like this," the _a'ladon _murmured as they entered the place, moving back-to-back.

The light inside was dim, and the boys had to wait for a moment before their eyes could adjust from the bright sun outside. The stench in the building was almost overpowering and it gagged Mylam, his sense of smell much keener than T.K.'s.

"Shh!" exclaimed the human, taking Mylam and leading him by the paw into a narrow corridor as he caught a glimpse of moment in the passageway ahead. Both boys knelt in the shadows and watched from their hiding place as a solitary pair of guards, each carrying an enormous weapon, passed them by and went to stand at the door that they'd just entered through.

The boys waited in silence for a moment, then one of the guards spoke to the other in a thick, heavily accented voice. "This is a disgrace not worthy of either of us. Not one whole day ago members of the King's Own, now reduced to simple jailers... jailers of our own people, no less."

"Be silent, S'sras," the other responded in a hushed voice, "or _she _will have you detained as well. Else do to you what she did to Eedin and Saran." He paused for a moment, glancing around to see if anyone was listening. Then, in an even lower voice, so that the boys had to strain to hear, he continued. "What kind of creature is it that can summon that kind of power from her very body?"

"Devil," the first responded. "She can be nothing less. Not only did Uriah surrender his throne without a fight, but the new king of the _a'ladon_ did as well."

An uneasy feeling started to form in T.K.'s stomach, and Mylam seethed furiously at hearing that his uncle had surrendered his throne. Mylam started to pull his weapon out to attack the two, but T.K. again grabbed his furry wrist. "Don't," he whispered, moving the other slightly down the hallway to prevent being heard.

"What? Why not?"

"Weren't you listening to them, Mylam? They're jailers. They're not here to keep anyone out, they're here to keep prisoners in. If we must then we can deal with them on the way out, but doing it now would just raise an alarm that we're here. Let's go get Kari and Perrin, and we'll get these two on the way out if there's no other choice."

Mylam looked unconvinced, not relishing the idea of leaving live enemies at their backs... but then sheathed his weapon and followed the human boy further down the dimly lit tunnel. "I hope you know what you're doing, Takeru. The _Laenites _had always taught that you were never one to shrink from a battle against evil."

"I've got a bad feeling that we're going to see too much of a battle as it is, Mylam. And I'd hate to think that the day would come when I'd go looking for a fight that I could possibly avoid." He sighed, wondering what he'd ever done to make the _a'ladon _envision him as a fervent general against evil. "Come on, the girls are this way."

The two made their way furtively throughout the enormous structure, at various times having to conceal themselves when groups of guards passed... but fortunately these times were few. Passing by what were clearly clusters of prison cells, the boys heard the sound of wailing coming from some that contrasted strongly with the sound of singing coming from others.

Mylam managed to ignore the wailing cries, but stopped cold when he heard the songs. "My... my people--" he whispered, his voice trailing off.

T.K. stopped and listened. "I can't understand what they're saying."

Mylam appeared on the verge of tears, and his voice was husky with emotion. "It's a hymn. Sung in the old language, that which my people spoke before the seers gave us yours. They are singing...

__

Takeru hear our tears, the children and the meek

Who call to you, who surrender our lives for freedom

Though bound in chains, still we believe

Loose our souls, Lord, to enter your Kingdom

Now T.K.'s lips began to quiver, and he clamped his teeth over them to make them stop. He was suddenly swamped by an irrational feeling of guilt that he was only steps away from creatures calling upon him for deliverance, yet could do nothing. Mylam slipped his paw into the boy's hand. "Come, Lord Takeru. We can come back for them if we survive to rescue Perrin and Hikari."

T.K. nodded, his eyebrows furrowed together, and it did not escape his notice that Mylam had now used the honorific 'Lord' to prefix his name for the first time. "That much I promise," he murmured.

It was only after several more minutes of slinking through dark corridors that the two came to a much larger room. "We're getting close," T.K. whispered, leaning over to speak to the prince and gesturing in the opposite direction. "They're somewhere down that way." Mylam nodded in response, and moved to take the lead when the two were again forced to duck for cover as they heard another pair of voices.

"You're a fool. Can't you even control your own slave?" The voice was eerily familiar.

A thick, grunting voice responded. "I, a fool? Look to yourself, _a'ladon_! You came back to her willingly. All you had to do was pack up your people and abandon your villages, and now you've surrendered them to her. If they had been distressed by our rule, how much worse will it be for them now?"

The two stepped into the light. It was the aged Saurian king Uriah, and at his side was Mylam's uncle, the deposed ruler Brennan. The young _a'ladon's_ eyes narrowed in fury at the sight of his former regent. "No, Mylam," whispered T.K., making a late grab for the other's arm as the prince pulled out his weapon and leapt into the hall with one motion. _"Uncle!" _he cried his challenge.

"Mylam?" hissed the other in astonishment, as if the prince was the last creature on earth that he would have expected to see at that moment. But then the regent's eyes were drawn to the naked blade in his nephew's paw, and brow furrowed in response as he unsheathed his own silvery weapon from the belt at his waist. "Despite what I'd warned these others of, I cannot honestly believe that you went through with this. But if fills me with some satisfaction to know that you have, as I'd hate to have left the pleasure of killing you to someone else. What did you do with your charlatan god?"

T.K. felt a sigh escape his lips, and he stepped from the shadows as well, tightening his grip around the staff that Mylam had given him. He wasn't about to allow the prince to enter this battle against the two on his own, after all.

At his appearance the Saurian king pulled out his weapon as well, an enormous, ugly looking rod with a vicious serrated blade at its apex. The creature shrugged off the tattered robe that hung from his shoulders as Brennan looked back over his shoulder. "You may deal with the outlander at your leisure, Uriah," the regent growled to his erstwhile partner, "but this is something personal between my nephew and myself."

The Saurian responded with a toothy snarl and began the battle almost instantly, leaping forward and directing a decapitating strike T.K.'s head. The human boy reeled backwards, away from the blade, and took a slap at the king's face with his own weapon as the sharp blade whistled past his ear.

Brennan's assault on Mylam was much more tempered, and began in a such way that an onlooker might have mistaken it for a gentleman's duel. "You've never been able to beat me before, _nephew_," the older creature reminded the younger.

"I've never had a good enough reason before, _uncle_," the other answered, thrusting his little blade towards his uncle's exposed neck.

The two contest of the _a'ladon _was skillful, and might have been mistaken for a ballet were it not for the deadly blades involved. The fight in the opposite corner of the hallway, however, was rapidly disintegrating into a brawl. Once again the bulky lizard was measurably stronger than the young boy, but T.K. was faster, younger and had the image of Kari firmly implanted into his head to drive him onward and to fortify his courage. A furious downward blow from the lizard king splintered the stone wall right next to T.K.'s ear, but the boy quickly countered with a stinging, if brief, blow to the Saurian's face. Green blood spurted from his injured mouth, and the creature gave a loud roar at his opponent.

On the other side, things were not going as well. Brennan had taught Mylam everything that the boy knew about fencing, and so was easily able to neutralize any attacks that the younger creature offered. When Mylam thrust his blade at his uncle's shoulder, the other deftly twisted aside and slashed his nephew's forearm open from elbow to wrist. Mylam gave a quick cry and clutched at the wound, then wiggled his claws to make certain that the tendon itself had not been severed.

T.K. was now backing his opponent away, the lessons finally returning to him and a righteous rage lending strength to his body. Almost angrily he smashed through the king's attempts to defend himself, all the while pummeling his aged body with sharp blows to the ribs and chest. Frantically the king tried to keep up, but for some reason while he was becoming increasingly weary the creature opposite him seemed to be gaining strength from somewhere. The Saurian was well beyond the years where he should have been fighting, but he had been told that this creature was simply a young child.

Then T.K. brought the heavy orb atop his rod down with a crushing blow to his opponent's skull. The king's eyes went vacant, and he dropped his vicious weapon to the ground with a clatter as he collapsed in a heap. T.K. pressed a hand against a small cut that he had received on his thigh to staunch the bleeding, but then shook off the pain as he looked to Mylam.

The prince was staggering about weakly now, blood pouring from numerous wounds all about his body as he stumbled away from his uncle's onslaught. Brennan laughed at the boy's feeble attempts to defend himself, and sneered as he continued to pound away at the child's body. A particularly wicked slash tore open the fur and flesh on Mylam's chest and Brennan raised his blade for the final blow. "Goodbye, nephew!" he cried mockingly.

Mylam seemed to falter, but then with what seemed to be the last of his strength he lunged forward and buried his blade deeply into his uncle's unprotected chest.

The older creature seemed almost astonished at having been struck and stared down at the blade that was buried in his chest. His own sword then fell from nerveless claws as he staggered backwards, then collapsed with a sigh. The hilt of Mylam's little blade was the only part that remained visible outside of the usurper's body. "Mylam!" cried T.K. as he rushed to his friend's side.

The boy prince had already crumpled to the ground as T.K. arrived at his side. The human glanced down at the other's torso, then quickly looked up again as he simply could not handle the gruesome sight of his furry companion's chest. Red blood spilled out from wounds too numerous to count, and a small trickle ran from the prince's mouth as well. With a retching cough that brought more blood the young _a'ladon _looked up at the human with deep blue eyes that mirrored T.K.'s own. "Guess… guess I won't have to wait for Perrin to accept my vows after all... right, Takeru?"

T.K. could barely see through the tears as the boy's cold paw wormed its way into the human's warm hand. "Please Mylam... call me T.K. Nobody but my mom calls me Takeru."

"All right then... Tekay," the other rasped, stumbling over the new pronunciation. "Please… for me... get Perrin out of here. I know you can. Tell her… tell her that I kept my vows the best way that I knew how. Tell her that I really… really do love her."

T.K. held the other's quivering paw firmly. "I promise, Mylam."

The prince's eyes focused on the human boy's face in surprise, as if considering something about him for the first time. "Yes… I… d…do see it now. I don't know why I couldn't before…"

"Wh... what, Mylam? What do you see?"

The boy prince was able to force a feeble, but genuine smile. "I do believe… in… you…"

Then, just as the prince's eyes started to close for the final time, the talisman laying against T.K.'s chest exploded into radiant brilliance and golden light, almost as if it had simply been waiting to hear those very words. The human quickly pulled it out from beneath his shirt out and focused on it. The light was intense, and for T.K. the question that Kari had posed upon first entering this world was finally answered. "You are a Digimon," the boy said in awe.

"W…what?" the prince responded as a shower of energy burst forth from the object and enveloped the two of them. Every hair on Mylam's furry body stood on edge, and he winced in something other than pain. The power of exhilaration surged through he body as he stared at T.K. "What's happening to me?"

T.K. couldn't respond without a ecstatic shout as his friend's form swelled into a larger manifestation before his eyes. The wounds on his body vanished as a new tenacity took hold in his eyes and strength surged through his lithe form. The glowing nimbus swirled around the _a'ladon _and brought him to his feet, and the prince stood stock-still as the reconfiguration was finished.

T.K. stood back and let the crest of Hope finish what it had begun in his friend. The weapon that had been buried in Brennan's chest now vanished and reappeared in Mylam's fist, and had changed as the _a'ladon _had changed. No longer was it the short blade that the boy had wielded so skillfully, but had stretched and filled out into a great, rune-crested sword. And whereas before Mylam's boyish features had resembled those of a squirrel, his sharp eyes and long ears now him appear much as a tall fox-like creature, standing on his hind legs before the boy. A small circlet of a golden crown rested atop his head, and the cloak that he wore was once again royal blue.

"Royal evolution, Mylam," T.K. said with a sparkle in his eye.


	6. Mylam's Grand Cross

Chapter 6

Mylam stood to attention in front of the human boy, breathing heavily and looking down at himself in confusion. A moment ago he had been dying, but now… "What _happened _to me?" he demanded.

T.K. affixed his eyes on the other and tucked the crest of Hope back beneath his shirt, though he started for a moment at how exceedingly hot it had become after channeling that much energy into the _a'ladon _boy's body. But it had done its work well, and Mylam was now totally whole and garbed in the impressive regalia of both a warrior and king. "You Evolved," he answered, stepping forward and to the other's side. "Quite well, too."

Mylam's sharp blue eyes drifted down to the human. He was so used to the other having been taller than he that it was not as simple an adjustment as one might have thought. "I haven't any idea what that means, Taker… er, Tekay"

"And it'd take too long to explain right now," the blond boy answered. The crest of Hope was iridescent against his skin and throbbing in time to the human's heartbeat. He became uncomfortably aware that Kari needed him, desperately... _now_, and that knowledge banished all fear of what might be waiting for the two of them behind the dark door just down the narrow hallway from them. "Are you ready?"

Mylam blinked away his bewilderment, then swiped the air in front of his body a couple of times with his new blade. "I really shouldn't have any idea how to use this, but somehow…" He trailed off as he saw the human looking at him urgently. He nodded, "Ready."

The two turned to go through the archway that led to the door, but then whirled about as they heard a savage cry from behind them. The Saurian king, who T.K. had knocked unconscious mere moments ago had stumbled to his feet and was now rushing at the pair. The human gripped his long rod tightly and Mylam raised his new, shimmering blade, but neither boy was forced to defend himself again.

An echoing howl came from another, darkened passageway opposite their position, and from it rushed another of the Saurian creatures. A long, wicked-looking blade was in his claws, and without even stopping to acknowledge the presence of the other two he lowered the weapon and charged his king, ramming the blade through the other's stomach. The deadly force of his momentum was so great and his weapon so sharp that his attack succeeded not only in killing his king, but also in impaling the dead body to the wall beyond.

T.K. and Myalm now turned to face this new threat, but oddly enough the creature simply dropped to his scaly knees beside the dead monarch and clutched at the other's claws, weeping. "For my s... son, majesty..." he murmured beyond the tears.

The two boys glanced warily at one another, then back to the newcomer. The creature had yet to rise or even acknowledge the two of them, and still cradled the claw of the dead king against his cheek. But after another moment their savior craned his neck around to the two of them, slimy tears falling from his reptilian eyes. "You... you are going to kill her?" he asked, a desperate plea in his voice.

Mylam glanced at T.K., who nodded once in response. "Who are you?" the _a'ladon _demanded, his voice authoritative and backed up by the deadly weapon in his fist.

"I am… was… the captain of my King's Own. And I am... was… a father. I beg of you both… destroy the creature that waits for you beyond that door. It is an abomination, a horror... a blight on our very world. It was at her word that my son... _my only son_... met his death."

Again the creature was keening in evident torment, any speech evidently too much for it. T.K. frowned, feeling a moment of pity. He would just as soon leave the tormented Saurian to his sorrow, but had first to ask the question that he was certain he did not want to know the answer to. "What did she say?"

The other looked up, a dazed expression on its face. "He was so young, and so proud. And I shared in that pride with him, and placed him in harm's way to bring him honor... And then he defied her. It was such a small thing, that he should want to serve his king. But her words... her words... 'Hades Thorn Barrage' is what she called down on my son. I... I was not even permitted to bury him afterwards..." And then the captain was on his feet again, bowing his head down to his chest and staggering away down the hallway from which he had come, the memory of his son's violent death too much for him.

T.K. bit his lip at the words, and wheeled back towards the black doorway. Kari's danger was even greater than he'd imagined, and now the crest of Hope began to understand so as well. The golden talisman in that moment spoke to him audibly for the first time, for in that moment the thoughts of the two were so close that it was impossible to tell where those of the boy ended and those of the living crest began. T.K. set his back and tightened his grip on the staff, then marched steadfastly towards the black door. Mylam wheeled on him in alarm, then scurried to catch up with his human friend. "What? What is it?" he asked hurriedly.

T.K. stopped at the door, then raised a foot and kicked it open. Or perhaps it was the crest of Hope that kicked the door open, using T.K.'s foot to do so. The human boy looked over his shoulder at the prince. "Hell has come to your world, Mylam," he answered.

*****

The air in the dark room was fetid, even more so than the rest of the fortress. There were several sources of light in the room, but almost all of the illumination that they cast was being scattered by the oppressively dark void in the center of the room. The light briefly flickered as if it would come to life, only to be brushed aside with disdain by the darkness.

T.K.'s eyes instantly sought out Kari, and found her bound to a stone wall on the far side of the room. A glowing nimbus of light emanated from her crest and surrounded her, but the radiant glow vanished as quickly as it appeared, consumed by the dark void and nourishing it. An urgent need filled his heart as his saw the brown-haired girl dangling limply by her wrists, her wearied eyes managing to glance up just long enough to throw a plea to the boy before they again sagged downward.

Mylam's eyes sought out Perrin. She too was bound, but closer to the center of the room where the void existed. The female _a'ladon_ looked as if she would willingly pass out if given the chance, but for some evidently for some reason she could not.

"So…" a soft, methodical voice purred slowly at them from within the void. "The children have arrived… Have you come to save your beloveds, children...? What charming devotion..."

A gaseous cloud then drifted lazily from the void and silently up towards the ceiling of the room. And as it drifted it expanded and began to solidify, until eventually it began to take shape as the female angel that T.K. had seen briefly six months prior. The same angel, but now twice as large and with wings that were razor-sharp and metallic instead of feathered. Black armor of a leather consistency covered its entire body, leaving only a glistening crimson area on its shoulder uncovered.

Mylam licked the furry whiskers on his snout nervously. "Let them go, _beast_," he demanded, though his voice was stuttering as he directed his bright blade in the creature's direction.

The other gave a short chuckle, shaking her head so that her lustrous black hair spilled from beneath her ornate helm. "Else what? I can see that your friend has given you the power of a champion, but what I have now is unlike anything that either of you has ever imagined before. I am now… immortal! Watch now as I demonstrate my divinity to you, children! _Hades Thorn Barrage!_"she cried, leveling her hand at the spot where the two boys stood.

T.K., expecting the assault, dove out of the way and rolled to the floor "Mylam!" he cried a warning to his friend.

The _a'ladon_ stood his ground and gripped his sword firmly, his teeth clenched together in anger. Then as the unholy lightning neared him he leapt forward and shouted his response. _"Grand Cross!" _he roared in a challenge, cutting the form of a 't' in midair with his bright blade. And with a golden flash that reflected the golden power from T.K.'s crest, the weapon tore through the dark energy that had been intended to end his life, dissipating it.

The dark angel was stunned into immobility as she watched the prince's technique render her own useless. "Tekay! Go!" Myalm cried, feeling almost sick to his stomach about the risk he had just taken, though in the end it had worked.

T.K. nodded as he rolled to his feet and sprinted towards Kari, his feet barely touching the ground he moved so quickly. "No!" hissed the dark angel. _"Hades Thorn Barrage!" _she cried again, hurling her dark power at the blond-haired boy.

T.K. again dove and rolled as the energy blasted a section of the slag floor behind him to bits. Minute bits of stone peppered his skin as he raised a forearm to defend his eyes, and then he leapt to his feet once again and shook off the pain; darting once more towards the imprisoned Kari.

Mylam's teeth were chattering in trepidation. He _had _to make himself a threat, if only to keep the monster off of Takeru while the blond boy reached Hikari. He stared up at the evil creature, trying to figure a way to reach her in order to bring her to battle. Then his eyes were drawn to the void. Directly behind it the tall throne of the Saurian king rose above his head, looking tall and sturdy.

__

I can't believe I'm doing this, the young _a'ladon _thought as he took off in a sprint towards the throne. Then with a new agility and strength born of his evolution he vaulted off of the velvet seat and towards the creature above him. _"Grand Cross!" _he again cried, twice whipping at the armored leg of the angel as he flew by.

Again the blade shimmered with his call, and again the golden power of the Crest of Heroes surged though the weapon. Mylam barely managed to nick the leg of their monstrous opponent with his attack, but even that glancing blow, powered as it, caused the creature to howl out in pain and fury.

"Damn!" cried Mylam as he plummeted from the air and crashed heavily to the floor, rolling in an attempt to lessen the impact.

"Fool! Child!" hissed the angel at the new injury, turning to loom over the _a'ladon _prince.

On the other side of the room, T.K. had finally reached the shimmering prison of light that encompassed Kari. He barely checked his speed he darted towards her and through the radiant curtain in which she was bound, but before he could reach the girl's side he was hurled away from her and crushed against the stone wall by the dazzling power of the nimbus. "Yeow!" he cried in pain, the field of power electrifying his body with an torturous shock that sent him reeling backwards and to the floor.

The boy lay on the floor, writhing in agony as the crest of Hope throbbed in time with his heart to ensure that it did not fail after such a horrific injury. T.K.'s muscles were convulsing wildly and uncontrollably in pain, and if the angel had turned on him in that moment then the battle would have been lost. But the demonic creature, certain in her trap's ability to keep the boy from Kari's side, had her entire attention focused on Mylam for the present. 

Slowly but certainly, T.K.'s muscles ceased in their wild convulsions and left the boy motionless on the floor, struggling to breathe. The blast that he had just absorbed would have killed most mortal men twice the boy's side, and would have left those who survived crippled for life. But T.K.... T.K. had not been gifted with the Crest of Heroes without reason, and with a valiant effort the boy fought off the staggering injury, pulled himself to his feet and slowly stumbled back to Kari's side. His fingers hesitantly brushed against the energy field before he quickly pulled them back and shook off the sharp pain that the contact brought to his hand. The brown-haired girl was limp now, her skin wan and her eyes closed. "Kari," the boy whispered gently.

The girl gave no response, nor any indication that she had heard.

"Kari," the boy whispered again, gently, and now pressed a full palm against the blazing curtain that shrouded the girl. The pain was there, but with the aid of the golden light on his chest the boy fought it back down. "Please, Kari. Help me. Please, I can't see you like this. It… it hurts. Kari… I love you."

The girl's brown eyes fluttered open briefly and gave the boy a glimmer of recognition. T.K. held her gaze until he was certain that she understood, then gave a nod and stepped boldly towards, then through the bright, shimmering curtain. Though he could again feel the light-energy course through his body, this time it did not shock him and he was able to gather the limp girl into his arms as he undid the clasps which held the girl's wrists. With the utmost care for Kari's condition he stepped through the light field with her frail body.

"No!" screamed the dark angel, still looming far above their heads. She could feel the power that she'd stolen from the girl bleeding from her body as the human boy removed its source. Without the strength that the girl was providing her she could no longer fully sustain her assault… it was all that she could manage just to keep herself aloft and away from the _a'ladon._

"Kari," whispered T.K. urgently, holding the girl's head in his lap and stroked her sweat-matted hair. "Kari please, wake up." The boy looked to her wrist, where the crest of Light was bounded tightly against her pale skin. It was beating a weak rhythm in response to what T.K. hoped was the girl's pulse, but he could not be certain... and still, she did not stir.

__

No! the dark angel thought in a panic. _That _could not be allowed to happen. He could not be allowed to bring the girl back to consciousness. As if in an angry reminder of what the consequences of such an act would be, the burning pain in her shoulder flared into existence again. It meant her life... the two could not be permitted to combine hope and light into faith again.

But how could she stop him? She no longer had the strength, without the girl's life-force at her disposal, to throw yet another Hades Barrage. She had other techniques that she could administer without the extra power, but against him? There was something impossibly strong about this boy, something inexplicably sublime in his manner.. 

But then she paused as something occurred to her, and a wicked leer slowly coalesced on her face._ This strong, rather sublime boy. Human, adolescent, boy... _

"Haze of Seduction," she whispered, then pursed her lips in an ugly parody of a kiss and blew a bit of her cloudy essence from her outstretched palm towards the human pair.

T.K. was still urgently, though gently, trying to revive the girl in his arms as the dark mist reached him and began to swirl about his head. The boy was breathing heavily in exertion and was quite unmindful of the approach of the dark cloud, and in another moment, inevitably, a good portion of it was drawn into his lungs.

The boy's bright eyes suddenly became quite expressionless, and were drawn upwards from Kari's face to the suddenly alluring form of the dark angel which hovered at the ceiling of the room. Thoughts and emotions that he had never experienced before started to take hold of his mind as he gazed at the creature; thoughts and emotions that his young body was still not quite prepared for yet.

With alarm Mylam dragged himself to his feet from his fall and watched the effect that the black fog had on his human friend. He gaped in horror as T.K. rose to his feet, allowing Kari to slip to the ground as the blond boy stumbled heedlessly towards the outstretched arms of the dark figure reaching down for him. "Tekay!" he shouted to the boy.

The other paid no attention, enraptured by the evil creature's mesmeric technique. His heart was beating rapidly and his skin burned with thoughts of what he would do with the vision of passion before him upon reaching her embrace. The crest of Hope continued to beat in time with the boy's heart, but now the object's golden radiance was as obscurely muted as the look in the boy's eyes. His purity suddenly compromised, it had become as useless to him as any mundane talisman.

Mylam looked about frantically. He could not reach the creature to attack her again, but knew that he needed to act before his friend could walk into the arms of the deadly beast that was drawing him in.

He briefly though of tackling T.K., then dismissed that idea. That would leave his back open to another of the creature's assaults, and if both he and the human boy should fall there would be no one left to battle this creature. In desperation the young _a'ladon _recalled looking in the other's eyes the day before when he had mentioned his companion, Lady Hikari, and with a determined nod the _a'ladon _rushed to the female human's side.

"Lady Hikari! Lady, please!" he whispered urgently into the girl's ear, shaking her shoulder. "Please, you must wake. We need you!"

Nothing.

The human boy was almost in the angel's embrace.

"Lady Hikari! We need you!" The _a'ladon_ paused with a thought, then continued, "Lord Takeru… Tekay! He needs you!"

At the mention of the name of the dearly loved boy, Kari's brown eyes flickered open briefly... and then closed again. But now the crest of Light strapped to her wrist became empowered, and slowly began to add strength to her heartbeat. The improvement was hesitant and gradual at first, then became stronger and faster as the girl stirred in her coma-like state.

T.K.'s thoughts were still on the vision of dark beauty in front of him, his expressionless eyes still mute and glazed over with desire. Then he stopped, confused, as an uninvited figure intruded on his most private thoughts of what he would do with this creature, this vision of dark lust.

This newcomer was a simple and brightly shimmering speck of light, and T.K. was tempted for a moment to swat it away. But something, he was never certain what, held him back. For while the newcomer did not have the erotic lure of the dark temptress, it was in some strange, wonderful, and confusing way much more attractive to him. He could not put a name to it but there was something… something that bound his soul to that small speck of light that could not be undone by any lustful human desire or want.

"T.K.," he heard a tender voice whisper, the sound easing his troubles and enfolding his wounded body with a gentle, healing balm. A warm feeling caressed his skin, and soothing ripples of peace coursed through his veins. "T.K.... Takeru. My Takeru, I heard.... I love you too, T.K…" The soothing grace of the benediction echoed in his brain again, and again, and again.

"Kari."

The human boy's blue eyes quickly snapped open, and to exalt him further the crest of Hope flared anew, again enveloping his eyes with the royal aura. With a sudden and unexpected alacrity born of purity the boy leapt away from the outstretched hands of the dark angel, then struck her once on the knuckles with the crown of his rod.

"No!" the other cried in terror and great pain, then glanced with alarm back at Mylam and Kari as the _a'ladon _helped the human girl to her feet. "Not you!" the fallen angel hissed, reaching for the pair with her deadly claws.

__

"Grand Cross!" Mylam shouted, his blade drawing another "t" in midair that nearly severed the angel's hand from her arm. A cloud of the dark haze dispersed from the deep wound as the _a'ladon's_ weapon pierced her flesh, and the creature howled a banshee cry of pain in response.

"T.K.!" cried Kari, rushing to his side with the crest bound to her wrist almost blinding in its radiance as it called to its counterpart that rested beneath the boy's shirt.

"Kari!" the boy answered, taking the crest of Heroes in hand. And then, at long last, she fell into his grateful arms once again. With immaculate and faithful smiles adoring each of their faces the pair clasped their hands and crests together, and once again the pink nimbus of faith and innocent love shone forth from the two.

__

"No!" howled the angel, as whatever power she'd had was dissolved in that instant. Soon the creature's body followed, as her flesh rapidly lost whatever color it'd had before. Then it turned a rather gray, lifeless color, took on a grainy texture, and finally crumbled into a small pile of ash at the foot of the throne on which she had stood.

An aura of peace and love from the holy light overwhelmed the young _a'ladon _prince, and quickly he rushed to Perrin's side and sliced the leather bindings from her wrists. Almost self-consciously he realized that in his new body he was more than twice as large as his intended fiancée, but then just gave a contented sigh as he gathered her unconscious body into his long arms and buried his face into her soft fur.

Then T.K. and Kari were at his side, the pair still surrounded by the aura of the unity of faith as they firmly grasped one another's hand. Together the three of them looked at the pile of ash which had been the dark angel, the creature annihilated by its inability to exist in the light of faith and pure love. When the human boy was finally certain that the danger had passed he released his grip on the Kari's hand, but it was only so he could gather her into his arms. Kari smiled in evident relief and contentment as she rested her cheek lovingly against his chest, then wrinkled her nose and looked up at the boy with a teasing glimmer in her eyes. "Phew! T.K., has anyone mentioned to you that you smell like dead fish?" she asked.

T.K. and Mylam glanced at one another, then suddenly burst out laughing for some reason which the brown-haired girl did not entirely understand.


	7. Epilogue, and Onwards

Epilogue

Perrin quietly pulled the sheets up to her son's neck, tucking the young _a'ladon _in as she smoothed his fine auburn hair back lovingly. The child peered closely at her with his bright blue eyes, eyes that had never once left her face during the story that she had just finished telling to the boy. "Mother?" he asked quietly.

"Yes son?"

"Lord Takeru and Lady Hikari… were they really gods?"

Perrin smiled gently at the boy, though the question gave her pause to think. She had been preparing herself for it, of course, but not when the boy was still so young. But perhaps she should have been, as it was well within his inquisitive nature to ask. The problem was that, despite the work of her husband in the past six years, the overwhelming perception among their people was still that the two young humans were indeed gods. Their physical appearance and liberation of the slaves had established that perception as an accepted and verified truth; no longer simply proverbial.

The young woman knew that the boy, despite his princely status, would face troubles from his friends and the priesthood if he should be told the truth, but she would not lie to the boy. "No, son, they weren't. They were simply two good and noble friends who came to us when we so desperately needed help."

The other sat up in bed, shedding his sheets as he peered closely at his mother. "But then why did they have to leave?"

The queen stopped, and seemed for a moment to consider an answer that would satisfy the child's five-year-old mind. "Do you know all the times when your father has to leave us to journey to the Dell of Atonement for the meetings with the Saurians?"

The boy nodded.

"Do you like it when he's gone?"

A shake of the head.

"Well neither does he. He doesn't like being away from you, but it's something that he has to do. And that's like what happened to Takeru and Hikari. Just as your father is helping the Saurians who are suffering, they came to help us when we were. And just like we miss him when he's gone, Takeru and Hikari had family who loved them where they came from and who missed them when they were here with us."

The boy's little brow frowned in thought, then he gave a short nod. Leaning back on his pillow, he yawned deeply and closed his sleepy blue eyes. Then, "Mother?" one final time.

"Yes?"

"Will I ever get to meet them? Even if they're not gods, I think I'd really like to."

Again Perrin paused. The last words that Lady Hikari had spoken to her (she had never been able to shake the habit of thinking of the girl as 'Lady' Hikari) were a promise that if they were ever needed again, the _a'ladon_ people shouldn't fear to call for them. "You may, someday, T'Kay. Someday. Now go to sleep, son," the young queen ordered, snapping off the light.

*****

T.K. and Kari sat quietly at a park bench near the girl's house, hands intertwined in silent affection. It had been scarcely two week since their return from the world of the _a'ladon_, and that night there was to be a gathering for the Digidestined at Tai and Kari's house. As such, the pair wanted some private time alone before being thrust in among all their friends at once. As she stared out into space, Kari ran her the tips of her fingers repeatedly around the back of the boy's hand, and the electric thrill that ran down his spine in response was not unlike the charge of the crest of Hope when it enlivened him.

As it happened, the week that they had spent in the _a'ladons_' world had entailed a passage of almost no time at all in their own. If either of the children had suspected as much before departing, they might have stayed for a much longer time. As it was, they had left the moment after seeing Mylam (who had returned to what T.K. assumed was his 'rookie' form shortly after their battle) and Perrin safely wed. The boy had, of course, stood for the prince in the capacity of a 'best man', or at least the equivalent station for the creatures. Both human children had rather expected the joining ceremony to be similar to a human wedding, but in reality it had really been more like a wild party, and by the end of that night both of them had been utterly exhausted.

A pensive look suddenly appeared in T.K.'s eyes as he stared off into the distance. Kari, without even having looked at the young boy, immediately picked up on the change in his demeanor. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I guess I'm just… worried," the other replied. "I have been since we got back."

"Worried? Why?"

His frown deepened. "I was thinking that, in a way, what happened over there was almost our fault."

"Our fault? T.K.! How can you say that?"

Now he turned to look at her. "Think about it, Kari. We threw the dark angel from our world to theirs, and it turned out that she was the one that allowed the Saurians to enslave the _a'ladon. _How many thousands of their people died because of that carelessness use of power? If we hadn't used the unity like we did--"

"She would have killed Sora, Matt and Tai half a year ago," the girl finished for him pointedly. "T.K., you can't blame yourself for that. You didn't know where we were sending her, and you couldn't control it."

The boy looked at the girl, and allowed his frown to give way as his eyes caught hers. "I guess… I know. But then, what about the other one? Despair?"

Kari shook her head. "I don't know. Hopefully he was sent somewhere where he can't do any harm. If not… if not, I suppose we'll hear about it soon enough." And with that the girl rested her head on T.K.'s shoulder, and suddenly, though nothing had really changed, everything again felt right in the world for the young boy.

__

To be continued...

Notes on _a'ladon_ culture: The _a'ladon_ are an otherworldly Celtic-type culture of warrior digimon for books 3, 5 & 7. The dance that TK and Kari join in at the beginning is an Irish reel, and the instrument that interrupts the dinner is a bagpipe. Mylam's instrument is a tin whistle.

On language (small spoilers for future books): In the _a'ladon_ language, an apostrophe in front of a word is always a modifier for the actual word the follows. The small "a" proceeding an apostrophe and a word indicates the word "the" for a proper noun. Thus _"a'ladon" _is "the People". For a common noun, it would be a capitalized "A", or _A'ladon _a generic "the people". The small letter "l" is a possessive, generally "your"; therefore in chapter one "_l'angelum_" is "your angels" and "_l'valere_" is "your truth". And **spoilers follow** the capitalized "T" is a an affectionate term usually assigned to very young children by parents or close relatives, and denotes a fond "little". Thus, T'Kay is "little faithful one" where Kay = faithful one, and T'Kai is "little promisekeeper", where Kai = promisekeeper (or keeper-of-the-promise). Rarely do _a'ladon_ boys keep the "T" modifier to their names beyond their 11th birthdays, unless there is a specific reason to do so, such as marking the difference between a father and son with the same name, i.e., 'Junior'. 

A capital "D" is normally in reference to supernatural evil or an aspect thereof, such as a demon or devil, as in "D'assan" or "D'aevis". Often a'ladon will forgo even speaking the name of such a creature, as the "D" is considered as much as a vulgarity.


End file.
